The mask is off!
It’s not “dictatorship” and democracy that the Left in Israel has been screaming about since Netanyahu was reelected. It’s his coalition partners that frightens the devil out the Kibbutznikim and Torah haters and driving them out of their minds. Worse! The future is even more terrifying, given their combined prolific population growth. And there is no stopping them!
It’s not even the “reasonableness” or the judicial overhaul now under discussion and eventual enactment that has literally driven the “opposition” to the streets in protest in the vain hope of stopping the government’s programs, as promised to its constituents.
And even after arrogant attempts at promoting global interference in Israel’s economic status and military structure, financed mostly from foreign interests desperately determined to keep Israel “democratic and free”, they are helpless is stemming the “religious “ tide in Israel ominously rearing its influence through the settlement movement, yeshivot and thousands of baale teshuva and gerim swelling the voting rolls in future elections as well.
Furthermore, it’s no secret that underlying all these frantic and undemocratic demonstrations are nothing less than a desperate opposition still trying to topple the Netanyahu government with cheap and vainly arrogant public relations tactics ( as if they could in view of its pro-Torah and traditional makeup. )
But the real face of the past 3 months of antagonism and opposition was revealed this week when one demonstrator defaced the Tel Aviv rabbinate offices by spraying “Shame” (in Hebrew) on the building walls.
“Shame. Shame. Shame,” the crowd chanted afterwards as the leader called for a court that would prevent economic catastrophe for women after divorce, stating that the court seeks to sabotage their rights.
In blind anger against the government in office, the focus was suddenly shifted to the one authority in Israel that provides support in joy and grief to most Israelis at least 3 times in a lifetime through its “religious” services: Birth, Marriage and Burial according to the laws of Moses and Yisrael. Their dedicated service has kept the Jewish people alive throughout the bitter diaspora and now in Israel. What shame?
The defacement was in protest against another of the new government’s commitment to its voters, in returning the authority for all marital matters to the Rabbinical court. A new Bill cleared its first Knesset hurdle to reinstate that authority recently and according to proposed legislation, local rabbinic courts may soon be able to judge monetary cases in divorce cases.
While there was 4 full color pages in the newspapers the following day on their “successful demonstrations” the night before, no mention was mentioned on the defacement. Only the Jerusalem Post printed a 4 column , 4 inch report on the Rabbinate defacement, headlined, “Protester sprays-paints “shame” on TA Rabbinical Court building.”
According to s JPost report, it was one activist who rallied the crowd against the Rabbinate itself, telling them to “say no to the court that wants to expand its influence. We’re here to tell them they won’t take us backward – and they won’t make us Iran.
The Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved the bill, proposed by MK Moshe Gafni which would allow courts to rule in financial disputes if agreed to by both parties. Currently the state-run rabbinic courts rule in accordance with Jewish law and have jurisdiction over issues of Jewish identity and conversion, marriage and divorce, and kashrut supervision.
Shame! Shame on all those who cry shame on others!
