By Rabbi Dow Marmur
JERUSALEM — I’m happy to be able to say something (almost) good about Avigdor Lieberman: he’s opposed to the extension ofIsrael’s so-called Tal Law. The law is named after a retired Israeli judge who headed a commission some years ago that recommended that haredim continue to be exempt from military service. As the law was only to operate for a limited time, it now needs to be renewed. Prime Minister Netanyahu may want to extend it. Avigdor Lieberman opposes it. Three cheers for Lieberman.
Not surprisingly, Netanyahu is said to want to stay in office. If he doesn’t renew the law he may lose the Orthodox parties and their hangers-on in his coalition. Though it’s unlikely that he agrees with the haredim, he, like many others, may sell out to them – ostensibly to maintain the stability of the country. The haredim count on it, no doubt.
As is well known, for all his right-wing views – which he airs periodically and embarrassingly before the whole world in his capacity as foreign minister – Lieberman is a staunch secularist (even though at least one of his children is Orthodox). The people he represents, largely immigrants from the former Soviet Union, are punished by current Orthodox restrictions in matters of Jewish status as many of them aren’t Jewish according to common halakhic criteria. They also brought a very secular lifestyle with them from the old country. To keep his constituency happy, Lieberman is challenging Netanyahu.
It makes me happy, too, but will he sustain his opposition? It’s possible that he’s only posturing in order to please his supporters by calculating that, even if the Tal law will be extended and he’s outvoted, he can say that he did his best. To be foreign minister may be more important to him than to defeat the Tal Law. I hope I’m wrong.
The haredim on their part maintain that by studying Torah (whether they’ve the head and stomach for it or not) and keeping the mitzvot, they’re doing more for the security and well-being of the country than the Israel Defense Forces.
They seem to argue that the fact that Israel prospers today has little to do with ingenuity or its brilliant Bank of Israel governor, but because the haredim keep Judaism as they think we should all keep it. Hamas is kept in check, Hezbollah is inactive and even Iran may not build a bomb. All this and much more is due to the efforts of the haredim and their lifestyle. To expect their men to go to the army would, therefore, endanger the country. Even Israel’s minister of the interior seems to harbour such views.
There’s, of course, no conclusive evidence that the haredi interpretation is wrong. But there is much evidence that they’re an enormous burden on the social services and welfare provisions of the State of Israel, and an unmitigated nuisance by interfering in the lives of its citizens, e.g., by harassing individuals, especially women.
On the other hand, the haredim believe that they’re not sufficiently recognized and rewarded for their sacrifices in keeping Israel safe. That’s why they take every opportunity to vilify the Jewish state, even calling it Nazi. To contribute to its demise in anticipation of the true Israel- when the Messiah will come because of their endeavours – they’re only too keen to collaborate withIsrael’s enemies – for our own good, of course.
Because the haredim have grown in numbers and in chutzpa, the rest of the country is reluctant to deal with them head on. The Tal Law reflects it. But for the time being, at least, Netanyahu has postponed the decision. Advantage Lieberman.
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Rabbi Marmur is spiritual leader emeritus of Holy Blossom Temple in Jerusalem. He now divides his time between Canada and Israel and may be contacted at dow.marmur@sdjewishworld.com