Op-Ed: ‘Et Tu Bennett’ – A Hareidi Yeshiva Student’s View
Published: Tuesday, March 12, 2013 11:50 PM
Rafi Newman
The writer is a 23 year old Yeshiva Student learning in the Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem. He made aliya from the US in 1999 with his family.
In Middle Eastern countries a similar tax called Jizya was leveled on the Jews. It was an extra tolerance and protection tax levied upon all non-Muslims, called Dhimmi.
By paying the extra tax, the wandering Jew was supposed to be tolerated, but were nevertheless incessantly subject to openly anti-Semitic remarks – and he felt himself lucky if the reactions were limited to remarks. A few notable examples:
“They are, all of them, born with raging fanaticism in their hearts, just as the Bretons and the Germans are born with blond hair. I would not be in the least bit surprised if these people would not some day become deadly to the human race.” (Lettres de Memmius a Ciceron, 1771)
Beyond this, the partnership between Lapid and Bennet is nothing short of unnatural, because contrary to what many may think, there is a natural synergy between haredim and the settlers. Both live their lives sacrificing for their ideals, though the subject of that idealism may be different, and both are victims of the left-wing secular.
It is the idealism of the National religious and hareidim that is a thorn in the side of the secular post-Zionists. In stark contrast to this idealism, Yair Lapid treats anything holy with contempt. He wishes to extinguish the light unto the nations.
To stop the bullying, Bennett has joined the bully to scapegoat the other victim, the hareidim, for everything that is wrong with this country.
Bennett joins Lapid in blaming the hareidim with the claim that if only they were in the army, if only they learned mathematics and English, if only they flooded the workplace, then housing would be affordable, university would be inexpensive, and everyone would earn much more money and pay fewer taxes.
This would be laughable if it were not so tragic. Though many blame the hareidim for not agreeing to join with Bayit Yehudi, MK Ayelet Shaked openly admitted that the Jewish Home never sat down with the haredi parties – in contradiction to MK Uri Ariel (Bayit Yehudi) who claims that Shas refused to talk with them – to discuss a solution to the matter.
We feel that he betrayed us, do not be so sure that he will not betray you.