MK Rav Chaim Amsellem faced off against journalist Avishai Ben-Chaim of Channel 10 regarding the recent remarks made against the chareidi tzibur by former Mossad Director Ephraim Halevy. In a surprise move, the chareidi MK supported Halevy, blaming the chareidi community for becoming too fanatic. Amsellem has become an outspoken advocate for moderation in the chareidi community in Eretz Yisrael.

In his remarks. Halevy stated the chareidim pose a bigger threat to Israel than Iran. The remarks resulted in a wave of condemnatory statements against Halevy by chareidi lawmakers, with some askanim calling for a police investigation against him for violating laws prohibiting incitement.

Amsellem explains that we must come to the realization that the chareidi community is moving too far to the right, citing a number of examples such as the stepped-up intolerance on buses, demanding total segregation, and the most recent incident, the minister of religious affairs disqualifying Tzohar rabbonim from performing marriages. Amsellem stated that anyone with any knowledge of Tzohar is aware of the wonderful work the organization does, it work in the area of kiruv, towards bringing people closer to Yiddishkheit and adherence to Torah and mitzvos.

Amsellem:

Ephraim Halevy is basically doing what I have been doing for some time. Take a mirror and place it in front of the chareidim and look. What do you see? The image in the eyes of a non-frum person is not a pleasant one.

Channel 10:

Avishai, you heard the words of Amsellem, a rav, a chareidi. What is your opinion? What is taking place with the chareidim? We, the non-frum look at them and see fanaticism and more extremism. What is taking place in that community?

Avishai Ben-Chaim: (not frum)

First of all, we must relate to Halevy’s words. They are severe, out of place, and definitely a challenge to the chareidi community. He could have made his point in a more acceptable fashion. But the point is we must ask how does someone of the caliber of Halevy arrive at this point. Secular people hear his words and many are saying ‘wow, he is right. There is something to this’.

Then we hear analyst Avi Bloom speaking on Kol Chai Radio’s Mordechai Lavi show and he says ‘yes, we are more of a threat to ourselves than the Iranians’. We cannot ignore this reality.

For me, I make a differentiation between the extremism that the chareidi community imposes on itself and the regulations it seeks to impose on the general public.

My approach differs from Halevy. We look at them from the outside and say they are a good group. The damage to the Jewish People from a strategic point of view is they cause the hatred among their own community. Because the chareidim are perceived as representative of yiddishkheit, people hate religion. They are doing it.

Channel 10:

In essence, there are two tracks that conflict with one another. On the one hand, there are more chareidim calling for an academic degree to enable them to go out and work. Women are working as well.

It appears there is more integration, a larger number of chareidim joining the mainstream workforce. On the other hand, inside the community there appears to be a large ghetto if you will.

Ben-Chaim:

Listen, you are straying from the main point. We look at them and want to educate them. That is not our job. I look at them from the point where our lives interact, such as when we come to the Rabbanut. Don’t bring people to hate the Rabbanut. END

Amsellem is on the ‘outs’ with many chareidim, particularly with his home base, Shas, for publically going against rulings of Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef Shlita and being the moderate, the outspoken lone voice that often publically criticizes the chareidi tzibur, as in this case.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)