In a speech last week marking the Day for Strengthening Ties with Diaspora Jewry, UTJ MK Meir Porush addressed the serious damage that the arrests of bnei yeshivos have caused to ties with the frum community in the US.
“The largest Jewish community in the world outside Israel is in New York and New Jersey,” he said. “Unfortunately, it seems that for certain elements here, strengthening ties with this community is not important. On the contrary, they want to weaken those ties and, chalilah, even sever them, perhaps because of its Chareidi identity.”
“The Jewish community that sends the largest number of young Jews to study here in Eretz Yisrael is the Jewish community of New York. The Jewish community that sends the largest number of couples to make aliyah to Eretz Yisrael and to Jerusalem is the community of New York. Enter the Mir, Belz, or Brisk yeshivos in Jerusalem and see how many bochurim and avreichim left the comfortable conditions of New York and came to study in Eretz Yisrael.”
“The state invests hundreds of millions of shekels, and perhaps even more, in Diaspora Jewry, whether through the Ministry of Aliyah with the aim of bringing them to Israel, or through the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs to strengthen them abroad, and through many other channels. I doubt whether even a tiny fraction of that is invested in the Jewish community of New York.”
“Recently, U.S. Congressman Mike Lawler’s letter was published. He is one of Israel’s greatest friends in Congress and represents a significant portion of that Jewish community in New York in his district. He appealed to the Prime Minister and cried out about the absurdity: how can a group of unelected judicial clerks so severely harm the rights of the American citizens he represents, simply because they came to Israel to learn Torah?”
“The ongoing persecution by the judicial system against lomdei Torah is creating a severe rift, perhaps even an irreparable one, between us and the largest Jewish community in the Diaspora. When we gather here to speak about strengthening ties with Diaspora Jewry, perhaps we should first make sure not to weaken our ties with Diaspora Jewry.”
“Perhaps the Attorney-General shouldn’t be busy from morning to night constructing piles upon piles of interpretations explaining how, why, and in what way not to fund yeshivos that bring foreign students to Israel, students who have nothing to do with the issue of military conscription, simply because perhaps they might buy milk at a coffee corner where an Israeli ben yeshivah is also drinking tea.”
(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
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12 Responses
not remotely true; those NY/NJ residents who support not serving in the IDF do not support Israel, buy bonds, donate to FIDF, etc. they contribute to those institutions which enable not serving.
It’s getting to the point where you’re better off staying and learning in America even though the spiritual advantages to learning in Israel are widely known, but a government like this that is so hostile to the Jewish people and so friendly to the Arabs shouldn’t be associated with anymore
G-d Bless MK Meir Porush.
May Gali Baharav-Miara quickly & speedily be obliterated from the face of this planet, and may we see an even bigger rejuvenation of תורה מציון spreading forth.
No it isn’t. Arrest more, we’re for it.
the idf doesn’t draft foreign yeshiva bochers. why is porush playing this stupid political game?
They hate all chareidim. The military issue is a cover for that hate.. that they can say we are good people we don’t hate other Jews for no reason, we hate them because of the conscription issue only
What is the truth? it is the opposite. they use the military issue as a guise for the fact that they hate hareidi society and their way of life, and they want less of them here not more so a yeshiva that brings these cavemen over are as much an issue for us- the sabra Torah hating Zionist as any born and bred Israeli ben yeshiva.
Afra li’pumayhu
The vast majority of American Jews, and especially those who are affluent and tend to contribute to the Democrats, are highly supportive of the “crackdown” on yeshiva students, since they (the secular majority of American Jews) strongly disapprove of yeshivas and generally are supportive of the Israeli military.
Maybe speak for your relatives don’t speak for the rest of us American Jews, unless that’s really what you think of us but really it’s just you
@DrYid&akuperma: they support Israel from distance – it’s NOT them who come in masses to learn and live in Israel.
They may buy bonds, but who pays for the hundreds of Mosdos Hatorah, which in turn give employment and bring millions to the Israeli economy, if not the American Chareidim?
DavidtheKanoi, you are severely innumerate. Answer to your question: “who pays for the hundreds of Mosdos Hatorah, which in turn give employment and bring millions to the Israeli economy, if not the American Chareidim?” THE ZIONIST ISRAELI GOVERNMENT CONTRIVUTES WAY MORE THAN AMERICAN OR ANY OTHER CHAREIDIM.
LEARN TO CALCULATE.
DrYidd Zionist:
That’s because they pretend to be the “government”; so, as a “government” they have to fund their educational institutions.
Those Nazi pigs don’t give anything the Attorney General made sure of that. But she gives plenty to terrorists. Thanks for supporting her