Haredi media coverage of Israeli Independence Day and Memorial Days

The State of Israel is but a Co-op Board

Reading the Ultra-Orthodox print and online media one would not have realized that Israel has just marked its most important national holiday, Yom Ha’Atzmaut (Day of Independence) and its only two official memorial days: Yom Hashoah and Yom Hazikaron.

07/05/2020 21:55

Tags: Haredi media ·  Yated Neeman ·  Independence Day ·  Yom HaAtzmaut ·  Holocaust Memorial Day ·  Yom HaShoah ·  Memorial Day ·  Yom HaZikaron

Israeli newspaper on Independence Day 2020

The large (~10%) Haredi segment of the Israeli public is forbidden to watch TV, listen to general radio broadcasts, or even read the general press. Reading their designated papers (as prescribed by their rabbinic and political leadership) – they would not read about nor share in the Israeli Independence Day celebrations, nor honor the memory of the soldiers whose deaths made Israel’s Independence and survival possible, and neither do they mark the Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day.

A picture is worth a thousand words, and examining Israel’s ultra-Orthodox media portals very clearly underscores how much they reject Zionism and Israel’s national ethos. The Zionist and general public celebrates Israel’s independence and honors the memories of the Israel’s fallen and of the Holocaust. In contrast, the news feed from the ultra-Orthodox media (shown below), demonstrates their rejection of these national holidays and commemorations (the only memorial days enacted by the Knesset).

For example, the official daily newspaper representing MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni’s political party is naturally aimed at shaping its readers' religious and political outlooks. It is the organ of the Ashkenazi Yeshiva world, whose party (Degel Hatorah) together with Agudath Israel form the ‘United Torah Judaism’ Haredi Ashkenazi political party. (Gafni is currently demanding to return to chair the powerful Knesset Finance Committee, as part of the new government coalition).

ULTRA-ORTHODOX MEDIA

Just compare the cover page of this newspaper on Yom Ha’Atzmaut eve and on Yom Ha’Shoah to that of Israel’s popular Yedioth Ahronoth daily paper (even if you do not know Hebrew and do not understand the text of the cover page headlines, you should get the picture immediately). You may also take a look at the comparison of the Yom Ha’Shoah issue of these two newspapers. The same holds true to the other main Haredi papers and news online portals.

YEDIOTH AHRONOTH

To understand this reality better, you may also want to also consider the recent order given by the Chabad-Lubavitch rabbinical court to a Chabad emissary, Chani Lifshitz, forbidding her to participate and light a torch at Israel’s Independence Day ceremony on Mount Hertzl. Lifshitz, who was invited to light the torch by the government, in order to honor Chabad emissaries, was forced to withdraw her acceptance and refuse participation. This clearly is connected to Chabad’s complex relationship with Zionism and the State of Israel, as distinct from its strong embrace of the land and the People of Israel (see a short account of the circumstances here: https://worldisraelnews.com/jewish-outreach-leader-declines-invitation-to-light-independence-day-torch/)

But whereas Chabad’s attitude is complex, and many of its young people serve in the IDF, there is very little ambivalence among the Haredi parties, who actively participate in Israel’s political life, but strongly reject Zionism and the concept of the State of Israel as an expression of Jewish self-repatriation without waiting for the Messiah. They view Zionism as heretical and the civil law and civil courts of Israel as illegitimate.

We do not recognize the 'spirit' and 'vision' of the state... Our collaboration with the government, with its duties and budgets, is nothing more than (participation in) a ‘Co-op Board’... There's a body here that technically manages the business ... Through a give and take relationship we pay the Co-op maintenance fees, and under its auspices we consume multiple budgets. ... That's why the greatest rabbis of (our) generations saw - and still see - it necessary to send representatives on our behalf to the ‘Co-op Board’ to take care of our needs...

An example (one of many) of this dichotomy was provided last Friday when the Yated Neeman newspaper printed an article explaining their perception of the State of Israel throughout its 72 year existence (Shabbat Supplement, ‘Yated Neeman’, May 1, 2020 "Seventy-two years for the Co-op Board”):

"We do not recognize the 'spirit' and 'vision' of the state... Our collaboration with the government, with its duties and budgets, is nothing more than (participation in) a ‘Co-op Board’... There's a body here that technically manages the business ... Through a give and take relationship we pay the Co-op maintenance fees, and under its auspices we consume multiple budgets. ... That's why the greatest rabbis of (our) generations saw - and still see - it necessary to send representatives on our behalf to the ‘Co-op Board’ to take care of our needs, so that this board, in whom our trust is not so ay-yai-yai (namely: not so great) will not deprive us of our needs. But not even for a moment do we share in the values of the state, with its symbols and general culture, and we do everything to separate ourselves from it ... "

Contrary to the will of the public, which desires a civil unity coalition without the ultra-Orthodox parties (or at least one that won’t surrender to their dictates on religion and state), the leaders of both major parties that claim to champion a national and Zionist coalition reached out to the ultra-Orthodox parties. It's time to look in the mirror, acknowledge the true facts and the Haredi rejection of both Zionism and Israel’s national aspirations, and heed the public will and Israel’s real interests.

The ultra-Orthodox parties do not share the goals and vision of a national-Zionist government. They use the state coffers to fund segregation and educate their youth to oppose Zionism and the values of Israeli as a Jewish and democratic state. They despise the state and use their political pressure to block religious freedom and equality of civic duties, which the public so clearly want. It's time to change direction and stop the hypocrisy of political horse-trading. Israel is not a "Co-op Board" but rather the realization of the Jewish desire to renew our national sovereignty in the spirit of Israel’s Declaration of Independence:

"based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex."