Haredi Leader Warns Against State's Treatment of Ultra-Orthodox
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
He defended the Haredi stance on military service as religiously motivated and criticized politicians like Bezalel Smotrich and Naftali Bennett for attacking his community. Asher's appointment followed his party's withdrawal from coalition roles over the issue of yeshiva student deferments.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Haredi leader Yaakov Asher warned that the state's demonization of his community could dismantle the country.
- Asher compared the treatment of Haredim to that of the Islamic Jihad, calling it a 'fifth column' accusation.
- He defended the Haredi commitment to Torah study as the reason for exemption from military service.
- Asher criticized Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for disrespecting prominent rabbis and crossing a red line.
- He contrasted the acceptance of Arab citizens' non-service with the criticism leveled against Haredim.
He argued that this approach, which labels Haredim as 'fifth columnists' or 'draft dodgers,' risks dismantling the state by alienating a significant portion of its Jewish population.
Speaking at a conference, Asher addressed remarks attributed to Rabbi Dov Lando, suggesting it would be preferable for Haredim to live under Arab rule, clarifying that the Rabbi's perspective is rooted in religious law and the importance of Torah study. Asher asserted that the Haredi community's stance on military service is based on faith and the belief that Torah study sustains the Jewish people, a position he contrasted with the nationalistic motivations he claimed drive Arab citizens' non-service.
Asher criticized politicians, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, for attacking the Haredi community and its leaders. He accused Smotrich of crossing a red line by speaking disrespectfully about prominent rabbis and suggested the Finance Minister was acting out of political pressure. Asher also lamented that the coalition partnership had forced his party to 'swallow many frogs' regarding Smotrich's agenda, while Smotrich lacked the same resolve when it came to Haredi issues.
He further drew a parallel between the media's acceptance of Arab citizens' refusal to serve in the IDF due to nationalism and the lack of criticism from figures like Yair Golan, questioning why the same understanding is not extended to the Haredi community's religiously motivated exemption. Asher urged that Haredim should not be coerced, while expressing respect for the religious-nationalist sector's scholars and their way of life.
Asher, who replaced Moshe Gafni as chairman of Degel HaTorah last month, was appointed by Rabbi Dov Lando. He previously served as a Member of Knesset since 2013, including chairing the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee and the Interior and Environmental Protection Committee, a role he resigned from when his party left its coalition positions over the issue of yeshiva student deferments.
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