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| Haaretz publisher, Amos Schocken (Israel Hayom) |
I wonder how many of us feel that way? To be honest, I think there are a lot of - even Orthodox Jews that feel that way. That is a most hateful way to see a fellow Jew. No matter how much we disagree with each other. And yet, that sentiment was expressed almost verbatim about Orthodox Jews by Haaretz publisher Amos Schocken.
Extremist hatred is not the sole province the secular left. One can see it expressed quite often by extremists on the religious right. As it recently was by a Charedi family against some female Israeli soldiers traveling on a bus with them.
If there is one thing that really pulls my chain, it is the kind extremism that generates that kind of hate. It doesn’t matter what side of the political or religious aisle it comes from. In my view, if anything can destroy the Jewish people it is that. Reconciliation between the two sides seems as unlikely as Louis Farrakhan becoming Rosh Yeshiva of Ponevezh.
I do not believe dialogue between these two extremes of Jewry is possible. Hate definitely has a home in Israel.
On the other hand it occurred to me that the views expressed by these two extremes are not all that uncommon among the mainstream. Many of my Orthodox Jewish friends on the left have expressed views similar to Schocken. Calling Charedi Jews parasites is not that rare. It is inconceivable to me that religious Jews can have the same views about other religious Jews as does a rabid hater of the Torah like Schocken. But it seems that many do.
It's not that I disagree with them so much on the issues. In fact more often that not, I do agree with them. But I do not allow my strong disagreement to result in hatred. Does anyone think, for example, that I hate Satmar Jews because of my constant heavy criticism of their educational system? That would be the furthest thing from the truth! I hate the fact that they are left ignorant of basic subjects - which the rest of the Orthodox Jewish world learns in third grade. I don't hate them. I hate ignorance! And feel sympathy for their ignorant state. And angry that they are denied that knowledge institutionally.
The same holds true for secular and heterodox Jews. I do not God forbid hate them either. I feel sympathy for their ignorance of the Torah and angry that their education has not included any significant education of that. Which is the vary essence of Judaism..
We all have issues that concern us about our ideological opponents. Some of which have serious negative repercussions. But hatred will not change anything. And if it keeps increasing the Jewish people will destroy themselves.
I do not believe there is any hope for people like Schocken and the Charedi family on that bus. Sadly their hatred has crossed the line to the point of no return. They have substituted hate for values.
But what about the rest of us? Are we so polarized that there is no hope for us either? Do we sit in our little corner and continue to hate people whose values are so different from ours? Or are we going reject the Schockens of the world, stop hating, and start talking to each other?
To be sure, there is nothing wrong and everything right with having ideals and sticking to them. On the contrary, that is often a courageous thing to do. But that does not mean vilifying those we disagree with. No matter how far they are from the way you think.
Dialogue need not be solely to convince ideological opponents about the absolute truth of one’s ideology. Although that is wonderful - if rather rare - when it happens it should primarily be for the purpose of trying to understand where the other guy is coming from and to respect them even when you strongly disagree. This is true for bot religious and secular Jews.
Unfortunately as noted here many times, this is not the direction we seem to be headed in. Instead of understanding and respect - hatred is increasing. And I’m not sure I see a way out. God help us all.