Hiddush petitions Attorney General to launch investigation
Rabbi Blau, Stop threatening haredi women!
Rabbi Mordechai blau publicly threatened ultra-Orthodox women with terrible consequences against their families and livelihoods, should they choose to run for office. Hiddush respond swiftly by urging the Attorney General to investigage Rabbi Blau for extortion!
11/12/2014 14:56
Tags: Mordechai Blau · haredim · elections · exlusion of women
Racheli Ibenboim
In early December, a campaign called ‘No Representation, No Vote’ was launched to pressure ultra-Orthodox political parties Shas and the United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party to stop excluding women from their party tickets. The Haredi activists’ argument is that in the modern era in which ultra-Orthodox Jewish women are already in the public realm, working as journalists, attorneys, doctors or activists, forbidding them to stand for political office makes no sense. Haredi women, who are more often than not both the primary breadwinners in their households and the primary caretakers of the family, deserve direct representation in the Knesset.
An open letter dated December 5 from this group of ultra-Orthodox women to the Knesset representatives of the Haredi parties was circulated on social media, gaining a lot of attention. The letter stated that they would refuse to vote for any party that did not include a female candidate — any female candidate — high enough on their tickets to have a realistic chance of winning a spot in the Knesset. The movement put out its message through a Facebook group and a crowdfunding site, and the effort received extensive media coverage.
While the Shas and United Torah Judaism (UTJ) parties did not issue an official response to the ultra-Orthodox ‘No Female Candidate, No Female Vote’ movement’s open letter to the Haredi political parties, Rabbi Mordechai Blau of UTJ issued a very strident, public response. Known for policing the morals of the Israeli ultra-Orthodox community, Rabbi Blau issued a threat by way of the Haredi media that any woman who goes against the leadership of the “Torah sages” will thereby ensure that her children will not attend ultra-Orthodox educational institutions, that no one will do business or work with her, that all of her descendants will be expelled from Haredi schools and that she will be divorced without a ketuba. And he guaranteed to personally implement all of the above.
Profoundly concerned with the principles of democracy, women’s rights, Israeli rule of law and open elections, Hiddush promptly wrote to Attorney General Weinstein, demanding that his office open an investigation against Rabbi Mordechai Blau on suspicion of the serious crime of extortion
Profoundly concerned with the principles of democracy, women’s rights, Israeli rule of law and open elections, Hiddush promptly wrote to Attorney General Weinstein, demanding that his office open an investigation against Rabbi Mordechai Blau on suspicion of the serious crime of extortion against ultra-Orthodox women to prevent them from participating in the elections. Rabbi Uri Regev wrote, “It is doubtful if in recent decades there has been such a serious case of bullying against potential candidates in Israeli elections,” insisting that the Attorney General take prompt, tough measures against Rabbi Blau for using coercion and threats to prevent women from participating in Israel’s open democratic process.
Rabbi Haim Amsalem, who broke away from the Shas party, responded with a promise to fight sexism in the religious community at large. Hiddush appreciates the vision presented by Rabbi Amsalem, and the flexibility and openness that it represents not only in Judaism, but in ultra-Orthodox Judaism in particular. He stated, “It is time that ultra-Orthodox women are represented in Haredi parties, and where there are ideological disagreements – women shouldn’t be prevented from running with other parties, and certainly not be targeted and humiliated,” referring to the activists behind the ‘No Representation, No Vote’ campaign who were threatened by Rabbi Blau to prevent them from running for office.
Hiddush believes that Israel must uproot this phenomenon, and fight it with all available resources. Once again, we have encountered a brazen attempt to undermine state laws. This case shows that Rabbi Blau and his friends aim to create an ultra-Orthodox state within the state of Israel, exempt from compliance with the laws of the State of Israel, but demanding that Israel finance its needs. Rabbi Blau’s words prove what has long been known to the public: ultra-Orthodox modesty gangs are willing to go to criminal lengths. Hopefully the rule of law will ensure that he pays the price. In Haredi society, threats such as Rabbi Blau’s are not to be taken lightly.