NR journalist: "dry out Haredi yeshivos"

A sharp article published by journalist Haggai Hoberman in the "Matzav Ruah" journal, is causing a storm.

In his remarks, he criticized the Jewish Home faction, which is trying to help the world of Torah and in return receives curses from the haredi public .

"Two weeks ago," writes Hobberman, "on Shabbat Eretz Yisrael of the Mishkefet movement, in front of a packed hall, I instructed a panel with the participation of Minister Uri Ariel and Deputy Minister Tzipi Hotoveli. I asked Minister Ariel, why does the Jewish Home faction worry about haredi Torah institutions, when as gratitude it receives insults and curses from them? Why does the Jewish Home not take care of our own institutions, just such as the Haredim have always cared only for themselves? After all, every dollar that goes to Haredi institutions, is a shekel less for Zionist – religious yeshivos.

"Minister Ariel, in his response, outlined the Zionistic - religious outlook: our responsibility is for the entire public, and we have a commitment to the world of Torah. We do not make a division in Torah study," he explained.

"At this point MK Hotoveli asked permission to speak, and said she thought there really is no reason that the Jewish Home will take care of Haredi yeshivos. "The cake is small, there is not enough money, and and religious Zionism has to worry about itself only. There is a certain political reality, and that is that the haredim are in the opposition. The haredi view is not our worldview, therefore the Jewish Home should worry only about Zionistic yeshivos and not haredi yeshivos," she ruled.

Hoberman continues: "The applause at the end of her answer very well explained which scales were tipped by the view in the hall. The Jewish Home boasted last week of their success to transfer an addition of 65 million to the budget of yeshivos. But most of the money, it seems, is designed for the haredi sector. Out of 65 million, 52 will be transferred to haredi Torah institutions, and 13 million only to Zionist yeshivos, who encourage recruitment. And I really do not understand why the Jewish Home should ever worry about haredi institutions, especially those affiliated with Torah Judaism, whose speakers curse religious Zionism. Religious Zionism should learn something important from the haredim: how to take care only of itself. The Jewish Home as a party, is committed to take care of its voters, the knitted kipot, and only of them. Religious Zionism is a long time partner in all Israeli public life, takes part in every field for that is its doctrine. But when it comes to limited budgets, the poor of your yeshivos are first."

Interestingly, that precisely Shas, that rabbis from its Council of Sages, headed by Harav Ovadia Yosef zt"l, who attacked the Jewish Home in the most severe form and crowned its heads with derogatory names, receive his solidarity, unlike the yeshivos affiliated with United Torah Judaism.

And so he writes: "In addition, there is a place to make a complete separation between Shas, most of whose voters join the army and they are much closer in outlook to religious Zionism - and the Ashkenazi Torah Judaism, for which the state has no value. The one who nine years ago joined the Sharon government for a fee of 290 million, "to save the haredi Torah institutions", as explained by Rabbi Elyashiv zt"l at the time, while helping to ruin and destroy dozens of religious institutions in Gush Katif."

And here comes the clincher that made the storm: "I admit that a single tear will not be shed from my eyes, if I see the yeshivos of Ponevez, Mir, Hevron and Slobodka together, in the condition of Lublin Yeshiva in Poland."

In a conversation with Behadrey Haredim, Hoberman does not apologize or try to dim his harsh words, but at the same time adds clarification which is necessary: "Obviously I meant to dry money and not G-d forbid burning holy books. The entire article related to financial aspects. Currently the yeshiva building serves as a tourist site and is designed as a guest center for Jews. That was my intention regarding the yeshivos in Israel."

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!