Democracy vs. Judaism?

Another level of religious extremism has been intoxicating Israel in the last few weeks.  I'm sure many of you have heard by now the story of 8-year old Naama Margolese.  While on her way to school, she was spit on and verbally harassed by a group of Ultra-Orthodox men in a Haredi neighborhood of Beit Shemesh.   In the following weeks, the community saw religious and secular Jews uniting in protest against this appalling behavior and the other limits placed on women by this group of religious extremists--including segregated buses and the banning of women from walking on certain sidewalks.   Sounds uncomfortably familiar to those of us in the United States where the Civil Rights Movement does not seem to long ago and racial discrimination is still alive.  An event just a fews days ago drew on another grievous historical reference.  Hundreds of Haredi Ultra-Orthodox men and and young boys protested the Israeli government's alleged incitement against its community by wearing yellow stars, invoking memories of a Nazi-ruled Germany. 

I've been trying to sort out my thoughts in regards to all of this. 

Things to remember: 

• This is a small group of people that by no means represents religious Jews.  It is important to recognize that there are Orthodox and Ultra-Orthodox Jews that do not agree with the actions that have been taken against these women and young children.  
• This is a small group of people that have been living in this community since before the state of Israel was created and do not even believe that a Jewish state should exist until the Messiah has come (as I have just learned from the above NYT article).  

I recently read an article on the topic where someone suggested that if it weren't for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to distract us, religious and secular Jews would have already turned on one another.  A bit extreme.  What I do know is that Israel is now facing an issue that it has managed to side step for 60+ years.  Can a truly democratic state also operate as a Jewish state?  Can Israel continue to allow this small, religious minority to maintain power in the government? 

 Kadima leader Tzipi Livni was recently quoted in the Jerusalem Post on the issue: 

"..the public does not hate haredim. They are angry at the government for allowing a minority to promote a state ruled by Jewish law... and they are upset because they are being asked to choose between Judaism and democracy, when the two are not contradictory."

But recent tensions over religious Jews' participation in the IDF brings to light that for some Orthodox and Ultra-Orthodox, living a religious life and assimilating into life in Israel are in fact contradictory behaviors.    Interestingly, the state has survived thus far without these being game-changing issues but it seems that in the last few years it has seen a steady rise in religious extremism.

On one hand, this country is a homeland to all Jews and up until now, it has managed to accommodate all.  But on the other hand, being a democratic state in the Middle East is what has kept Israel's allies by its side and if it comes down to it, I hope it makes the right decision and takes a stand. 

Addendum: "The subjugation of Palestinians and the intolerance of ultra-orthodox Jews are not disparate phenomena." - Read it

New Curbs on Violent Settlers: a Celebration of Justice Being Served or an Embarrassment at How Long It Took

Israel Leader Sets New Curbs on Violent Settlers: Following months of an increase in attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian land, mosques and recently IDF soldiers and bases, the Israeli government finally decides to impose stricter ramifications.  Is this simply justice finally being taken or does this expose a deeper level of unequal consequences amongst Israeli settlers and Palestinians in the West Bank?   Is this really just a "handful" of settlers or are they just pawns in a growing movement by Israeli extremists? 

Please share any and all thoughts--specifically on the following quotes:

1. "Political leaders from across the spectrum competed to condemn the settlers’ violence, with the left and center accusing Mr. Netanyahu of ignoring previous settler violence and the right saying that out-of-control youths were besmirching an otherwise noble movement."
2. "Human rights groups have long condemned Israel’s use of administrative detention against Palestinians and were not expected to applaud its use against settlers despite their objection to settlements."
3. “There is no word more shameful in the Israeli lexicon of violence than the word ‘handful,’ ” wrote Nahum Barnea, a columnist for the Yediot Aharonot newspaper, referring to characterizations of the violent settlers as so small in number as to be insignificant. “This criminal behavior must be rooted out, and everyone knows where the roots are: in the incitement of the settler rabbis, in the Israeli governments that over and over again approved the settlers’ illegal acts, in the leniency of the judges and in the powerlessness of the Shin Bet, the army and the police.”

As a Jew, I am horrified and CONDEMN the behavior of these settlers.  We often forget that extremism exists in every religion--a  tip that some of our politicians and oh about 50% of our country could learn a lot from (read: The Attack on "All-American Muslim").  

What The Heck is Going On Over There, Why Do I Care and Why Should You?

I spent the last 23 years of my life living by the following motto: stay the hell away from politics.   I don't care much for confrontation and I never really did well with criticism.   I generally viewed opinionated people as divisive and close-minded.  Somehow,  I managed to escape a globally-minded, liberal arts college still living in an optimistic la-la land where I could ignore what the newspapers and magazines reported and carry on with my day-to-day life in ignorant bliss.

My first year out of college gave me a reality check.  My first clue that I was living in a flawed world: jobs.  They didn't exist for me and they didn't exist for my friends.  I thought Obama was a super hero who would swoop in and save us from all the evils that Bush had created.  Turns out things are a little more complicated than that. Turns out there are a lot more players in this thing called government than just   our great commander.  

Do I sound naive? I was. Things always managed to fall in place for me and I don't think I had realized how quite privileged my life was and still is.  

Skip ahead to the fall and I found myself employed at a not-so-local university Hillel.   In all my years of college, I had never imagined myself working for a Jewish organization, let alone as a Jewish educator.  I saw this as an opportunity to share the formative experiences that my university's Hillel had provided to me, to explore a potential career field and to maintain that connection to Judaism that often gets lost in the wandering years as a young adult.  In turn, I found myself surrounded by bright, inquisitive, passionate students who I fear taught me a lot more than I was capable of teaching them.  

Before I was hired, one of the students interviewed me and I can still remember her first question: "Israel--what are your thoughts? How do you deal with it on campus?"  I racked my brain and all I could find was a big, dark empty hole.  I went home a little concerned and a little embarrassed.  

Is it possible to say that a year later, I still conjure up a big dark hole when I think about Israel?  Although this time, its not so empty--its filled with my experience traveling on Birthright with my students,  befriending an Israeli co-worker, hearing lectures by Peter Beinart and Alan Dershowitz, meeting Ivri Lider and learning about gay rights in Israel but also pinkwashing in Israel, watching the news in sadness over the killings in Itamar and then in horror at the behavior of Israeli settlers, following the uprisings in the Middle East and what that means for Israel and the plight of captured IDF soldier Gilad Shalit and the decisions that Israel had to make, observing the changing political climate of young Jews with the rise of and challenges to JStreet and other organizations critical of Israel, and finally the reality check of a close friend being impacted by the attacks in Eilat and that this war is not going to be solved in the UN or by the Palestinians partnering with Hamas, or by the US if our leadership (coughGINGRICHcough) keeps heading in the terrifying direction its going.  

As I filled myself with thoughts and opinions on Israel from students, speakers, podcasts, writers, Israelis, Americans, Palestinians, Jews & Muslims (both secular and religious), Europeans, Arabs and political parties of a wide range of views, I only felt that big dark hole getting bigger and darker.   I had never been so incapable of "choosing a side" on something in my life.  Israel is a hot topic that is not just causing a divide in Israel, but also in the Jewish community, and among Americans and among the US and Israel and its allies and its non-allies. As important as this conflict is to me as a Jew, its importance can be measured on a national and a global scale as well.   Human rights, democracy, terrorism, extremists, occupation and homeland: these are not foreign words to us.  

What I have learned: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict sucks.  It's intricate and complicated.  No matter how many hours I spend scouring the web for more information, I am not going to find a solution, I am not going to pick a side.  What I can do, however, is provide a platform for sharing information about the intricacies of this issue and a space for open dialogue in the hope that I can 1) stay up to date with the constant stream of news on this topic and 2) be challenged to think more critically about what I am reading and learning 3) provide a tool for curious friends to learn more  and 3) shed light on why Israel, Palestine and the Middle East are so important to me and why I think it should be important to you too.  

Disclaimer:  I am not a self-hating Jew.  I am not a Jew that blindly supports Israel.  Sometimes I will post articles by clearly one-sided authors or news sources.   Embrace it and challenge it.   I have no political background, barely an international relations background and I am not what one would call a fluid or eloquent writer.  Any concerns regarding these issues can be emailed to me privately.