Tel Aviv, Israel – Opposition leader Tzipi Livni on Thursday condemned secular Israelis’ ignorance of Judaism, especially in the “state of Tel Aviv” as well as the religious school system’s reluctance to recognize the state of Israel.
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“There are schools in Israel that refuse to conduct national matriculation exams because they refuse to recognize the state of Israel as the body testing their students,” Livni said during a Kadima conference at the Knesset. “I will be the first person to support minority rights, but the question is whether minorities have the right, due to bad political system and weak politicians, to shrug off the authority of the government and promote only that one sector of Israeli society without even trying to create common ground. This is how we now find ourselves living in separate societies, one next to the other, without a common language – some will speak Hebrew, some Arabic, others Yiddish.”
“Being a Jew is not something you’re told,” she continued, “it’s an inner feeling of belonging, of being moved and wanting to belong.”
“I am more concerned by the public in the Jewish state of Tel Aviv than the public in Bnei Brak – in Bnei Brak there is a closed community that guards the tradition of the same Jewish melody on Yom Kippur, holidays and Shabbat. I am concerned by the fact that this melody isn’t sounded in other parts of the nation. A generation has arisen here that avoids visiting synagogues because they identify the Jewish thing as something that belongs to the ultra-Orthodox. What are we going to do so that all of our children will come together?” Livni asked.
“I value Judaism studies in public schools and I would really like it if ultra-Orthodox schools taught Zionism and other topics. This is what we need to fight for, without forcing any kind of lifestyle on anyone, the way I wouldn’t want anything forced on me,” she continued.
“Political parties that are supposed to have views on this topic aren’t making their voices heard, but instead they’re selling out their platforms to the monopoly of Haredi politics over Judaism. This process is problematic. This conference is not a one time thing – we will affect social and political change,” she concluded.
She is the worst ! One week ago she was knocking all traditions of Ultra Orthodox telling Israeli seculars “they must put an end to the separate buses (private bus lines except where Egged voluntarily wants to kee the business). the role of frumwomen (Saudi women love their life style!) and that the seculars must rise up. Typical Hate spewed by Labor, Kadima and leftists wo win support creating discriminatory panic against the so called “parasites.” One day later Isreal reports that a seculars are now a dwibdling Minority because they are not having kids.
The Sephardic movements baal teshuvas are more than ever. Who needs this Mechutzefes to tell people aboutt cfrumkeit when ahe knocked it with hate a week ago. Shame on her! All she wants is
win office. She is a LOSER! Let her apologize for the sinas Chinom of a week ago she emotionally talked about!
She does make one good point – the alienation of many Israelis from Judaism is startling and disappointing. I’ve been in Israel for three of the past four summers and am always angry when I plan on going to a restaurant only to find out that it isn’t kosher. How can that be? I can walk into any restaurant or pizza shop in Boro Park, which believe it or not is located in Golus, and not have to worry about kashrus, but in Israel, Eretz Hakodesh, I do.
I worry about Israel because Hashem has warned us repeatedly that if we do not follow the Torah, the land will spit us out. We’ve already been spit out twice – I don’t want to see us spit out again.
“I value Judaism studies in public schools and I would really like it if ultra-Orthodox schools taught Zionism and other topics”
Lets stay separate.
Even if you go into an orthodox shul in Brooklyn, some people treat others as if you were not “Jewish” enough!! Ridiculous!! But it happens!!
Sorry Livni but Zionism is NOT Judaism. It is NOT based or centered around Judaism nor founded on the Torah. Aderabbah the zionist state is the very reason why so many seculars want nothing to do with Torah Judaism! The Zionist state is the greatest threat to the neshamah of Klal Yisroel! The gadolim the of the previous generation were all but unanimous on this!!!
Furthermore, Lets take a closer look at what Zionism founded. IE: The “State of Tel Aviv” as Livni put it! That was the “first hebrew city” according to the zionists. Tel Aviv is the model of zionism which the state seeks to export everywhere in eretz HaKodesh. Where as Torah Jews seek to export the light of Torah Judaism from Jerusalem to the world! This is the difference!!!
this is why separation of church and state is a great system mucj less problems
Tzipi Livni should stop trying to woo Christian Evangelicals to Israel. They are trying to convert all those secular Israelis in Tel Aviv.
Was she cynicel
Who created that generation?
Shame on the Tzionim!
I’m totaly confused, I don’t understand the purpose of this article. Can any one explain it to me?
at first i was all impressed cuz she sounds like she values frum values. but at the end i think its a ploy to get us to join her cuz then she starts saying that frum schools should teach zionism….
To #9 Why should a jew be ignored in any shul? Were we not all taught manners? During the week the normal Good Morning, Good Afternoon, or Good Evening in whatever language is easier for you and on Shabbos the regular Gut Shabbas is simply just plain GOOD MANNERS!! There are some shuls in Flatbush that do not acknowledge people’s presence and they are just plain RUDE!! Then they expect large donations to their appeals!! Chutzpah!!
“Being a Jew is not something you’re told,” she continued, “it’s an inner feeling of belonging, of being moved and wanting to belong.” Is she serious? do you imagine what would be left of the Jewish people if for being Jewish, it was only a matter of feeling or emotion or being moved? All Black Africans would then be Jews (as more and more Africans are believing/feeling their ancesters were Jews) and what should be said of those Christians who have a genuine love for Judaism? They, too, because they feel excited by Judaism and are moved by Jewish teaching, have to be considered Jews? Miss Livni, you are pathetic, and I think if you had spent more time in shuls, you’ll never have spoken such stupidity
So as not to violate “mistakel,” maybe the men should avert their eyes?
Also, this business of making fake hair that looks a lot prettier than natural hair. When women wear those outside the home, how exactly does that help the situation?
I’m concerned that a generation of Israelis avoid Judaism altogether .
the lady is in a state of ignorance.the fact is that zionism is anathema to perhaps 90% of torah observent jews.if that is good or bad is not the point here.the lady wants to be prime minister of israel but she is out of contact with reality.and not only on this point.
good morning livni. welcome to the real world, but the problem is that. you dont say what you mean, and you dont mean what you say, are you perhaps running in the near future for another job in public office?
Just as there are many forms of Christianity, there are many forms of Judiasm. From Bels, Sutmars, Lubovitch, Conservative and Reform, amongst the collection. Then there are the Holiday Jews, (Rosh-Hash, Yom Kippur and Pesach Sedar night).
As long as the ultra-orthodox turn away Conservative jews from cemetaries, and dont recognize marriages within these groups, Israel is lost as a Jewish State and Nation.
I further forecast that more and more secularism is coming. Non-kosher consumption of food is on the rise.
Hassidem, wake up, we are in the 21st century. Our ancestors did not know about electricity, airflight, and modern medicines or the cell-phone. Time to take your head out of the sand.