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The Weekly Scandal: “Blow up the Supreme Court”

The Weekly Scandal: “Blow up the Supreme Court”

There is hardly a week that goes by without a scandal or a struggle over religion and state. The weekly scandal, which accompanied last week's Independence Day celebration, is the video clip in which MK Yitzhak Pindrus, chair of the UTJ (United Torah Judaism, the Ashkenazi ultra-Orthodox faction in the Knesset) is seen expressing his desire to blow up the Supreme Court: “You know what my dream is? To bring a D9 [bulldozer] and blow up the building.”

Israel needs to fight for true freedom of religion

Israel needs to fight for true freedom of religion

What Idit Silman, et al., describe as a Jewish identity is the identity of a small minority in the state of Israel and an even smaller minority among world Jewry.

Is American Orthodoxy not Orthodox?

Is American Orthodoxy not Orthodox?

We hold that both non-Jewish and non-observant Jewish soldiers have rights that must be respected and that this does not detract from the kashrut status of food provided by the IDF to all soldiers.

Terror and Religion

Terror and Religion

As expected, the terrorist attacks of recent days have led to many reactions – some violent and harsh towards Arabs; some directly involving religion.

The conscription bluff

The conscription bluff

I did not come up with the title to this article. This was the title given by a well-known ultra-Orthodox commentator to an article he published this month in the ultra-Orthodox newspaper Yated Ne'eman.

What will the monthly clash over the Kotel be like tomorrow?

What will the monthly clash over the Kotel be like tomorrow?

The executives of the American Reform and Conservative movements, Rabbis Rick Jacobs and Jacob Blumenthal, arrived in Israel for the JAFI board meetings; and they have scheduled multiple meetings with Israeli political leaders from Prime Minister Bennett down.

Depicting Israel's leadership as antisemitic villains

Depicting Israel's leadership as antisemitic villains

The Haredi politicians and media are still focused on posturing as innocent victims that are picked upon by antisemitic Jewish politicians like Avigdor Liberman, crooks like PM Naftali Bennett, and heretics bent on destroying Judaism like the Reform Movement, which masterminds many recent moves aimed at bullying “Torah-true” Jews.

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any lower…

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any lower…

Since Hiddush last newsletter, Israel was exposed to two new records in rudeness and hatefulness of expressions by Knesset members’, one from the Chairman of the Agudat Israel faction, Former Minister MK Rabbi Yaakov Litzman, and his colleague MK Rabbi Moshe Abutbul of Shas. The other was on the part of former Minister MK David Amsalem [Likud]. Litzman's statement from the Knesset podium was an expression of the growing frustration of the ultra-Orthodox leadership with the Government's policies and the presence and influence of MK Rabbi Gilad Kariv, Chairman of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee.

When we thought the discourse could not deteriorate further...

When we thought the discourse could not deteriorate further...

From the Knesset rostrum, MK Azoulay (Shas) launched a flurry of insults towards MK Rabbi Gilad Kariv, (Labor) and all attempts by the Speaker of the Knesset to stop his hysterical slur shouting were to no avail. Kariv, for his part, retorted that “This will not help you; and you will hear me many more times, whether that suits you or not.”

Assault religious freedom, assault democracy

Assault religious freedom, assault democracy

Half of Israel was up in arms earlier this week, when a tape from a political meeting held by Likud MK Dudi Amsalem leaked to the media. When you read the following selection of his outbursts, you will understand why the media and public reaction was so harsh.

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