Condemning Violence Without Vilifying the Haredi ציבור

The article says violence, road blockages, attacks on police, and personal harassment of judges, elected officials and civilians must be condemned without compromise, but insists the entire Haredi public should not be turned into a target of accusations. It argues that sweeping denunciations only deepen the rift and make real dialogue harder.

The writer takes aim at Rabbi David Stav for repeatedly directing criticism at the Haredi public and its leadership in a harsh, broad way, while being quieter or softer when the wrongdoing comes from other sectors. He says the proper response is precise criticism of extremist actors, especially those linked to the Jerusalem Faction, not a collective indictment of all Haredim or Torah learners.

The piece stresses that the Jerusalem Faction is only a small part of the Haredi world and does not represent its rabbis or the hundreds of thousands of Haredim who live, in the author’s words, quietly and responsibly. It adds that extremist groups on the left or right do not define all of Israeli society either, and that responsible leadership requires distinguishing between specific misconduct and dangerous generalization.

The author says Israel is nearing a historic rupture over enlistment, Jewish identity, burden-sharing, and the role of Torah study in the state. In such a moment, he argues, leaders should lower tensions, respect the other side’s pain, and seek compromise, not deepen hostility. He concludes that those who truly fear for Israel’s future must condemn violence and extremism equally, while stopping the collective blame campaign against Haredim. The writer identifies himself as the father of Sgt. Uri Mordechai Shani, who fell in battle.