print such an anti religous/semetic newsprint.. if this was printed anywhere elsee there would be screaming and hate

in the past few years. You complain about IDF enlistment but no religious Jew is going to join a army to force his fellow Jew to leave their homes. Thats the fact, your time is ending, Baruch Hashem.

apparently you have a problem in recognizing the truth when faced with it

never existed and probably never will. And that's their "democracy". Can you compare Israel's so-called "democracy" with the democracy of the U.S.? As Mark W. (tbk #8) at http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3429901,00.html found. Israel is more accurately a Communist state than a Democratic one. Here's an excerpt of Professor Paul Eidelberg's article on Israel's War Against Judaism. In the State of Israel, the police can do whatever they want to the Hareidi because they know the government and courts will back them as they did when the police brutalized those demonstrating against the expulsion of Jews from Gush Katif. This is the “Gang of Law” mentioned by former Knesset Speaker Ruby Rivlin. The police and the government would never use this kind of violence against Arabs because of their fawning attitude to the international community, which habitually supports the Arab side. Here is my own final word: The police brutality against the Hareidim imperils all citizens of Israel, whether religious or not. It should also be understood that the word “democracy,” which is ever on the lips of Israel’s ruling elites, is very much a self-serving fraud, which endows the State of Israel with legitimacy and its ruling elites with respectability. But what the fraud of Israeli democracy conceals is the government’s war against Judaism. So what should be done? The Hareidim in Israel and in the United States should expose the myth of Israeli democracy.

Your computer, your communications, your health, your transportation... Don't exaggerate, now.

Firstly Who is Yaron London and why waste everyone's time with his stupidities. I'm not going to defend anyone here, however, He brings up these stupid arguements about work. Most Charidiem work for a living and pay taxes. Almost everyone I know both religious ans secular will try to save from paying the 15% VAT where they can. And I mean EVERYONE. The Government of Israel has been Funding the Minority Kabbutz Movement for years. And if Mr. Yaron London doesn't like it here he knews where the airport is.

Once that is acheived the secular jews will be in trouble, since we are the ones that serve in the IDF and work while most ultra orthodox do neither, prefuring to spend their days studying Torah. What will happen to this nation then.... alot of secular people will leave for greener pastures and Israel will slowly cease to exist because there simply won't be enough people to serve in the IDF,or working to support those who donot wish to work but want to study Torah, Wise up secular public stop the growing Haredi and ultra orthodox control of the government!.

Israel is surrounde by seven political enteties (I am including Hamas and Fatah and Hezbullah separate from Lebanon) whose governments or at least majority populations want to destroy it. It suffers daily extrernal rocket attacks, and only continuous masssive military action prevents rockets and bombings from striking all over the country, and he sees loyal Jewish citizens of the Jewish state as the greatest threat to its democracy?

What would be if the Knesset -IS- governed by strictly Frum Shomer Shabbat jews & all the Arab neighbors decide to declare war to destroy Israel like Nasser did in 1967. Will they all still beable to exempt themselves from going to the Army????

Sure the orthodox have high birth rate, but secular Jews in Israel have on average 3-4 kids, in america that right there is considered a big family. Israel is a Jewish state and always will be, but democracy is here. You have to be optimistic about the future. Things change all the time here.

Dear Monique, If Israel does not have Torah, it will no longer exist. we won every war with the hand of G-D that blessed our brave and tallented military against all odds. The day you forget that, is the day its all over. The war last year was a glipmse. Dear #9 you clearly know nothing about jewish law. If there is a war and live are in danger, its is a mitzvah to fight on shabbat. Not only secular jews fight in the army, but all secular jews think that they can win with out G-D and Torah.

Dripping hatred venom and bigotry. They wont cut THIS article short, oh no siree. Slurp a beer with infesto sauce shrimps, London, and then go there too on a one way ticket. They'll replace you on the evening programme with someone similarly bigoted with venom and hatred. Bye.Take the scruffy dirty drunk dizengoff namal crowd with you. They're so ugly and talentless and won't be missed.

In this day and age why do so many religious Jews cling to their own brand of racism and their anti-democratic agenda?

The only purpose of the Atheist, secular, Jew-hating oligarchy in Israel is that they defended Jewish lives. They no longer have that merit (Gush Katif, Shomron, Sedorot). We will solve your demographic problems with Jews who love G-d and the Holy Land. May the leaders of this country have many nightmares.

Yes, the secular majority in Israel has lost its energy, maybe even its will to live. I remember not so long ago when the issue of haredi refusal to serve in the army, while living off the state coffers, was "hot" and enraged many people. There is similar apathy about Sderot. Nothing but a dynamic leader could wake up sleeping secular Israel--maybe Yaalon? And why did it go to sleep? Perhaps too much distance from the holy. When I was growing up in a Christian country, the Christian kids there, including many who weren't so "religious," would go to "religious instruction" class once a week and were not defined as strictly secular. Perhaps it was enough to encourage the idea that there is something beyond the self, a higher power. Young Israelis are growing up in an atmosphere that instills individualistic, pragmatic, materialistic values. It's to the point that people don't care about terrorist rockets, and don't care about haredi parasitism and exploitation--don't care about anything but their own comfort.

In early Israel God separated the priesthood from the ruling King. When one of the Kings presumed to commandeer one of the Priestly duties he was stricken with lebrosy. Jesus also taught 'give to Ceasar what belongs to Ceasar, and give to God what belongs to God.' So until the return of the Messiah, its best to keep the two powers separate, however in their 'law' making no King had the right to make Laws, that interferes with a mans conscience to God. So no making idols for men to worship.Because a mans conscience is between God and that person and when Governments make Laws that interfere with an individuals freedom of obeying Gods Law, then that authority has oversteped boundaries. Believe it or not Authorities are Gods servants placed in positions to 'minister' to HIS people. People belong to God not Governments

this article stems from uneducated fear. the old guard is loosing its grip ,true, and the reason is clear. the idea of secular zionism cannot withstand the test of time for many reasons, but to call for defensive democaracy is to call for defensive detachment which implicates narcissim at is peak. instead of backing into a ditch from which there is no retreat engage in partnership. unity can defeat all where as sectarianism will bring civil war.

The politicians spak of a demographic problem here in Israel. At first glance we think they are refering to "occupation of arabs", the reason for leaving gush katif. The truth is and is reflected in this article, is that the secular society is in fact concerned over demographics. Religious to secular. This scared secular government had to brainwash the army to try and break the spirit of religious zionism in Gush Katif. It was not about giving the Pals a state. It was about breaking a part of society that was a threat upon a secular nation. This author is correct in his over all assessmant. Lets not lie. The birthrate in religious is much higher then secular. We also have to ask ourselveds why? If you ask me, the religioous see the world as a future project. Something to build, plant and nourish. The secular, in recent actions, tend to look at things in the now without even looking 12 month ahead. Example, gush Katif...another, olmert telling the world that he is "sick of winning". More talks of expusion even on the brink of war in Gaza. This list is endless.... My point is that the religious know that this assessment is correct. The religious are trying to build a country dedicated to living by the torah. The religious also know that this worries the seculars. The religious are just not concerned. They have time. And so do I. We should be zoche to see the building of our beit hamigdash see the redemption in our days.

to Yaron for all my fellow Jews who will attack him here in talkbacks. They will attack him with intensity and with venomous verbosity because they have no cogent argument to his exact truths. The truth hurts. The most dangerous threat to Israel, as we know it today, is not our Arab militant neighbors but rather the ultra orthodox who are insidiously taking over control of this country. I predict mass emigration of the democracy and freedom loving secular citizens of this country which coupled with the aforesaid rise in numbers, and subsequent control, by the orthodox, will cause an imbalance that will be the beginning of the end. I firmly believe this is what will happen and I doubt if there is an antidote. It is very tragic.

First - to #2 - the Haredi leadership and public did NOTHING to stop the expulsion from Gush Katif - many actually supported it to "save lives" - see where that got them. But the ultra-orthodox are just hastening the end of this country - and before you sling mud at me - I am Orthodox. But when Shas, Yahadut HaTorah and the like take over the country we will have very few people left who earn a wage and so no one left to tax, no army left, no new doctors, or scientists, or police officers, or air traffic controllers, or pilots, or .... and on and on - so that the country will not be able to function - a million Torah scholars cannot run and operate a society. I, for one, as an Orthodox Jew will be one of the first to leave - I don't want to live in society such as the one they are dreaming of - and they will never be willing to do what they do in other countries - join the workforce and live in the 21st century

over this whole country" and to "alot of secular people will leave for greener pastures." "slowly [Israel will] cease to exist" That's when the Jewish state will start living. "most ultra orthodox do neither" - Rubbish. (see #6)

so let me get this right..... the militantly anti-religious "new jew" vision of the big brother socialism that was a failed social experiment has yet to come to terms with you were the neighborhood bully that now nobody wants to have anything to do with you anymore.... ....but you still don't get it do you? this arguement is not about military service.....that can be changed in a day at the knesset.......this is about hearts and minds and your vision was voted out in 1977 don't lecture us about democracy....the democracy that you espouse is the one in the words of haim ramon "the democracy of 1" as in 50% plus 1 and they are not accountable to the rest........i remember that comment well during oslo learn your history....if you want to make change the challenge is to embrace the minority and bring them into the fold......not to expect them to abandon their identity to take upon your own that is why you lost in 1977

London would never write such a column about Israel's Arab population growth. His attack on religious Jews and their birthrate smacks of racism and eugenics.

They are a bunch of cowards who don't serve in the army, they steal and they lie and they have no morals. And as they study only talmud, they have no brains for anything in the real world. Big bunch of sad nobodies.

What is it? Can someone help explain what it stands for? The Land - Well, the zionists keep giving it away to the Arabs. So it must not be that it stands for keeping The Land. It doesn’t keep the Torah. It doesn’t stand for the preservation of Jewish life, as they endlessly fight needless wars. Apparently, it doesn't stand for anything other than political power and Torah hatred.

Israel only appears to be so. If we really want to be a democracy, we must give the Arabs the same rights as Jews and allow them to vote the Jewish state out of existence. We actually never were and cannot become a true democracy at all. if we do, we must forget about being a Jewish state as the two ideas are completely incompatible. We might be described as being a Jewish democracy. Once we give Arabs complete equality, we will be under shariah law as soon as they become the majority. Stop kidding yourselves and start thinking with your heads. Sadly, the ultra orthos have hijacked Judaism and created a new religion based on a transcendent god. If they become the ruling power, G-d help us, we will be as backwards as the Arabs are under Shariah law.

First of all, calling Jews "parasites" sounds pretty anti-Semitic - don't you think? But my main point is: If someone got a grant to study Shakespeare at a University and write a PhD on it for 3 years so that they could become a Professor and teach Shakespeare at a University no secular Jew would complain. So if religious Jews give money to yeshivas so people could learn Torah and eventually teach Torah is that less than Shakespeare? Of course Torah is not Shakespear- it is what defined us, kept us through the ages, guides us to live morally and grow spiritually and closer to G-d. In religious communities there is far less crime of every type- and much stronger family life and spiritual pursuits not exclusively physical ones. I tell secular Jews that Torah is not less than Shakespear it's more. Also the fact is many Heirdim work and over 20% of the officers in IDF wear Kippot. If the secular Jews want to fight- they should do so in a positive way by having more children themselves. Of course if they teach their children that the ideal lifestyle is found in the US and countries like it they shouldn't be surprised when their kids end up moving there...

The Haredim do not represent any kind of authentique Judaism. Quite the contrary, they have become a bizarre sect removed from traditional Judaism & from the majority of the Jewish people. But there are many other religious Jews & many others, who while not strictly observant, are still traditional. Even many of us who might be considered secular still adhere to some Jewish observances & beliefs. There is a small minority who are not only secular but anti-religion & more specifically, anti-Jewish, since they have no problem with other people's religious practices, many of which are repugnant to most rational people. The point is that the center is weak & the two extremes make the most noise & have undo influence. The problem is not between religious & secular, it is a problem of fanatics on both extremes.

When against Hareidim: racist and xenophobic. Funny thing. There is only one standard and if London had published this against the Arabs he would be facing an entirely different set of upset people. No tolerance for hypocrisy!!

Let the Religious Wars begin!