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Posted by on May 1, 2013 in Haaretz | 0 comments

Is Yair Lapid the savior of religious freedom in Israel?

More times than I can count, I have asked Israeli politicians about the absence of religious freedom in Israel, and I have heard them respond with obfuscations, evasions, and excuses. When I made the case that religious freedom in Israel is a deep concern not only to Israelis but to the entire Jewish people, the politicians would generally smile indulgently, offer a modicum of sympathy, and change the subject.

And then, all of a sudden, came Yair Lapid’s electrifying words in the Knesset last week. (A video with translation is available below.)

“I do not observe Shabbat,” Lapid said to Haredi hecklers who wanted to know why he posted on his Facebook page on Shabbat. “I am not telling you what to do on Shabbat, and you won’t tell me.“ And he added, among other things: “I don’t take orders from you.  We [in Israel] are sick of taking orders from you.”

These were exhilarating, fighting words. And from what I read and hear from my friends in Israel, most Israelis seem to agree. As the exchange became an Internet sensation, drawing huge audiences throughout Israel, Israelis said to themselves and their neighbors:  “He got it exactly right. I have had enough of Haredi leaders telling me what to do.”

And this was true even for those—like me—who do not post on Facebook on Shabbat and who would be delighted if Yair Lapid were to choose a more observant path for himself. In fact, Jews sympathetic to tradition without necessarily being Orthodox—Reform and Conservative Jews, to be sure, but many, many others as well—were those most gratified by Lapid’s remarks.

After all, these Jews know better than anyone that coercion undermines Torah and that religious monopolies bring Judaism into disrepute. They know that religious life can be advanced only by education and persuasion. They see that by being so quick to impose their Judaism on others, the Haredim have succeeded only in making it hateful to those around them.

And by challenging coercive Haredi methods with a few minutes of honest, direct talk, Lapid brought this point home. In the process he did what no other major party leader has had the courage to do for years: He looked arrogant, out-of-touch Haredi leaders in the eye and told them, in no uncertain terms, to stop bullying, stop threatening, and stop giving orders to everyone else.

The result was that Israel applauded, while Jews of the Diaspora looked on with glowing approval.

There will be attempts, of course, to present Lapid as a Judaism-hater and even an anti-Semite, but they are absurd and they will fail. In the first place, Lapid is not an enemy of the Haredim; he is their champion, committed to drawing them back into the mainstream of Israeli society. And in the second place, it is impossible to present him as an Orthodox-basher. To be sure, he is more secular than I would like him to be; but after two decades of writing Israel’s most popular newspaper column and appearing on television and before Diaspora audiences, his thoughtful positions on Jewish identity and religion are known to all.

Does the coming religious revolution in Israel finally have a leader? It is too soon to tell. One dazzling Knesset performance, as impressive as it may be, is not enough. Lapid will ultimately be judged not by his rhetoric but by his actions, and his most important task now is to reduce funding to the voracious Haredi bureaucracy.

With the budgets of their institutions substantially reduced, the power of Haredi leaders will be reduced as well, and—most important—Haredi young men will start finding their way back to work, the world, and a view of Judaism based in reality. To his credit, Lapid’s initial budget includes significant cuts, including a 30% reduction in Haredi seminaries. It will be essential that he and his party see these cuts through.

At the same time, and at the risk of contradicting myself, my hope is that Lapid will not focus too much on religious matters. A leader with a broad agenda will be best able to fight religious inequalities and advocate for religious freedom.  Lapid will be most effective if he is concerned about the Haredim without being obsessed with them, and if he sees religious issues as one part of a compelling vision for Israel’s future—including progress on relations with the Palestinians.

But for the moment, as a longtime activist on the religious freedom front, I am optimistic. The great and glorious tradition that is Judaism will wither away if it is imposed upon us; it will survive and thrive only if we impose it upon ourselves. This is the foundational principle of modern Jewish life, and Mr. Lapid seems to understand it. If, building on a promising beginning, he becomes the advocate of Jewish tradition through choice in Israel, I am confident that the citizens of Israel and the Jews of the Diaspora will stand behind him and offer their support.

 

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