Photo Credit: Yori Yanover

This is the Israel that I have thus far encountered. Why would anyone want to live in a country like this?

People on all sides of the Secular/DL/Charedi divide just keep fueling their anger at each other. Each side thinks they are the aggrieved party. And they are both right. Which is the greater aggrieved party? Does it matter? It seems almost hopeless, and getting worse even The point is that the vicious cycle continues and the enmity increases.

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I do see a glimmer of hope occasionally. Like when my Charedi son had a friendly discussion of Divrei Torah with the Rav of the Religious Zionist Shul here in Ramat Bet Shemesh A. That was one moment that I actually felt some hope. I asked myself at the time, “Why can’t we all just get along despite our Hashkafic differences? ” Why is it that in Israel of all places, the goal of Achdus seems so much more distant than in any other country?

My son and the Religious Zionist Rav could not be further apart Hashkaficly. And yet they seemed to respect each other – and were able to have a friendly Torah discussion. Can’t the two communities just learn to follow this example?

It doesn’t seem like this will ever happen. Things only seem to be getting worse. Instead of trying to live in peace and harmony with each other I see turf wars. Jew against Jew. Jew hating Jew. Charedim hate DLs and secular Jews. DLs hate Charedim. Seculars hate Charedim – and even DLs in some cases. This is what people in the holy land seem to be all about these days. And that is not holy.

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Harry Maryles runs the blog "Emes Ve-Emunah" which focuses on current events and issues that effect the Jewish world in general and Orthodoxy in particular. It discuses Hashkafa and news events of the day - from a Centrist perspctive and a philosphy of Torah U'Mada. He can be reached at [email protected].