OK so you guys want me to tackle this head on here i go.
Azi wrote that he does not know what to answer to these things, well i do
“Almost everything I’ve read about them makes them out to be mean and arrogant”
Ha ha – Lets check this one out, ask any non Jew or orthodox Jew how many languages he can speak most can only speak one, Orthodox Jews can usually speak between 2-4.
How many Non orthodox can list you Jewish history from 2000 years ago? so you will say it”s just that they don”t care, but i”ll call that on their part arrogant.
Enter any Shul you got A few Talmidei Chachamim,[or call it Rabbi with a doctrine in Jewish law, History etc.] a few Doctors a few Lawyers a couple of accountants Computer programmers etc. etc..
<NO I DON”T CALL THAT ARROGANT>
You further wrote:
“Orthodox jews generally are exempt from service, primarily because they (well, a significant minority of them) tend to riot if they don’t get what they want”
About the army, The main question is Why do we need an army if None of the leaders know what Israel needs to be ?
If Israel is like any other state, why do you need to stay in this land surrounded by many Arabs countries ?
Why are they not going to another place in the world ?
Why this land is more to Israelis than to the Palestinians ?
Sometimes, we need to go to Lebanon
but for WHAT ?
We are here to create a very unique country.
About the orthodox contribution: What can you say about Hatzolah ? Zaka ? Meir Panim ? Ezra Lamarpeh ? Ezer Letsion ? the Laniado Hospital in Netanya ? all the gmahims ? and all the others very big organizations who are helping EVERY DAY ALL KIND of Israelis !
I think that they are contributing more to the country than the whole IDF !
Azi You just need to turn off your TV.