Establishing Tyrannical Religious Rules
“If implemented, would alter the character of Israel and turn it into something of a Jewish version of an Islamic Republic.”
January 2, 2023. A section of traditional Zionist religious Israeli politicians, reinforced by the fascists of the “Religious Zionists” are pressing full out to get Israel under the thumb of the Orthodox sect. Included in the “Religious Zionists” is one Avi Maoz who will be in charge of something new, the “Jewish Identity Authority”. This institution will allow him to exercise his anti-gay bigotry. Maoz opposes any LGBTQ rights and wants to ban women from serving in the military. Moaz also been appointed to oversee the Israeli school curriculum. He will supervise some 8,000 educational programs covering scores of subjects in thousands of secular schools. Until now that was the job of the education minister. Moaz is a devoted follower of a rabbi named Rabbi Tzvi Tau who preaches that gays contradict the “first basis of human existence”. (Interestingly Tau has been accused of repeated rape by a woman who demonstrates weekly against him in front of Israeli’s Knesset.)
In a recent article (12-29-22) in Haaretz Israeli poet and former follower of Orthodox practices Amichai Chasson wrote, “Ben-Gvir is a populist and racist and he is scary, but eventually he will come up against reality and the reality will soften him, in spite of himself…But people like Avi Maoz and his circle could not care less about reality.” By the way Netanyahu did not need Moaz’s one-person Knesset delegation to have a majority in Parliament. He included him to take away power from any potential deserter. In the past couple of years Netanyahu’s majority was so razor thin that even a one-person defection might bring down his government. Moaz is Netanyahu’s insurance.
Israeli leaders do not want to associate with the worldwide Jewish religious majority, those who worship in the “Conservative” and “Reform” congregations. Netanyahu’s government intends to overcome the legal decision which recognized “conversions” done by rabbis from those congregations in Israel. It also intends to overcome the practice whereby anyone with one Jewish grandparent would be allowed Israeli citizenship. The government will also amend the law against incitement to racism to include incitement against the ultra-Orthodox community. [So it will be “racist” to criticize ultra-Orthodox practices except in a whisper.]
But there’s more. Yaakov Katz in the Jerusalem Post writes about the desires of the “religious”. “The demands varied and included stopping the use of power plants producing electricity on Shabbat, increasing the number of separate beaches, funding the genizah (proper burial) of holy books and establishing institutes dedicated to answering halachic questions. The Haredi party also asked to increase the study of the Bible in secular schools and to begin teaching Talmud there, as well.” They do not fear that their anti-democratic measures will be nullified by a High Court decision because the ruling coalition intends to eviscerate the High Court itself, allowing its decisions to be overruled by a simple majority in the Knesset. Yaakov Katz says the reforms being contemplated “if implemented, would alter the character of Israel and turn it into something of a Jewish version of an Islamic Republic”
This government is fully ready to give in to the demands of those who hate or despise gays and women for “religious reasons”. It may start by giving Israeli doctors the right to refuse medical treatment that offends their religious ideas. Or perhaps hotel owners will be allowed to refuse rooms to gays or concerts may be allowed to segregate by gender. “Women of the Wall”, the feminist group, will be banned from assembling in the prayer section near the Western Wall. One suspects that the practice of the “religious” to force women to sit in the back of buses will no longer receive government objection. Similarly women singers at government-organized memorials and celebrations will become a thing of the past.
ISIS had Islamic State. Will Netanyahu lead (for a time) Jewish State?