Following the announced coalition agreement with Yahadut Hatorah, President Reuven Rivlin on Wednesday evening 10 Iyar commented on that agreement. He is not pleased, stating that both the chareidi and Israeli Arab communities must serve the nation and they are obligated to educate their children to enable them to enter the Israeli workplace and earn a livelihood. He added that in the not too distant future, the chareidi and Arab education systems in the capital will be the majority, but the children will lack the education required to enter the workplace and secure jobs to support themselves and their families.
Kikar Shabbos News quotes Yahadut Hatorah sources speaking out angrily against the president, questioning the timing of his statements, which come at a time the chareidi community is under fire. They accuse Rivlin of “incitement” against the chareidi tzibur for “joining the anti-chareidi choir”.
Some Yahadut Hatorah officials believe that Rivlin is acting this way to earn the support of others since he was backed by the chareidim in the presidential election.
Shas officials are angered at the president as well, accusing him of fueling the audible voices that lash out at the chareidi tzibur at large.
On Monday, 15 Iyar, a meeting is planned with Betar Illit Mayor Meir Rubinstein and mayors of other chareidi municipalities throughout Israel with President Rivlin. Calls to boycott the event are already being heard from Yahadut Hatorah and Shas.
Officials in the President’s Residence deny Mr. Rivlin made the controversial statements attributed to him at an economic conference.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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12 Responses
gee- maybe first the Knesset could pass a law banning job discrimination against charedim first-which they refused to do 2 years ago.You can’t legally discriminate against arabs,ethopian jews,women in Israel but charedim you can!
Of course their angry. Because he’s right.
Any opinion or point of view that challenges a group is called incitement, discrimination, racism, etc.
Can’t we grow up & ever understand that life, ideals, goals, hashkafoes are NOT black & white.
He said that charedim after finishing their basic schooling, will lack the skills to enter the job force. He’s correct. Long ago chazal placed the responsibility on the father to make sure that his child could earn Parnassah. We have cornered ourselves into a poverty hole.
#2 –
First you should get an education in English before you comment – **they’re** angry.
Furthermore, they’re angry because he’s **wrong**. A charedi with a yeshiva education can take a six month preparatory course and then follow a course of study leading to a degree in law, accounting, computer science, etc. Some of children have done it. Why should they waste twelve years studying irrelevant subjects when they could be learning Torah?
The government has the responsibility to educate its citizens in order for them to be productive and contribute to the economic development of society. The citizens in turn have the responsibility to defend the government that provides their safety and well being.
The prime minister has failed to understand and impliment these basic ideas in his new government.
This isn’t anti-charedi-its anti-stupid. As president he must try to do what is best for his country. Having large groups of people who are uneducated and illiterate, is a very scary thing.
The groups are upset because he is against giving them more money for education, when he knows the level of education will not go up. It will be used to pay the bills and salaries of those involved, which is important, but core subjects and education will not be taught. These kids will then grow up and (as is happening now) demand money and tax cuts so they can somehow support themselves and their families.
Basically, the problem is “why am I giving you money now so you can grow up and ask for more money later?” You don’t want to learn core subjects, then don’t ask for money when you can’t get a job. The sad part is, the kids are the ones that are hurt most in both cases.
idachgissa said:
“. A charedi with a yeshiva education can take a six month preparatory course and then follow a course of study leading to a degree in law, accounting, computer science, etc”
They could, but do they? It seems that not too many do. Furthermore, a six month course would just be barely enough education to do a low level job (low pay) in those fields with little opportunity for advancement. Maybe in programming there is more opportunity, but that is more and more being off-shored to places like India and China.
President Rivlin is right. We Chareidim can’t solve our problems by crying about being the victims as some groups are doing in America. Chareidim do need to be able to work, at least to do our best to pay our own way in society. We could set a really great example for other Jews by showing that Torah does go together with earning a responsible, gainful livelihood. We set a very poor example by dumping on those who try to address the problem, as has been most recently done to Rivlin.
#4
zionflag ,well said
(surprisingly)
# 8
Those who are interested do. Some of my children did.
The six month course is just a preparatory course to give them enough English and Math to be able to take the full courses which last several years.
The job of the President is a ceremonial one. Like his predecessor he likes to make controversial statements, but he should keep his mouth shut and embrace all his citizens with equal devotion.