The haredim don't care who is running the country, so long as they get money and keep their kids out of the army. They'll get into bed with anybody for a price, and make sure that everybody else pays their bills. Israel needs a constitution and direct regional representation in the Knesset. This proportional representation system is crap.

It has nothing to do with politics, but the fact that these people by and large do not work, do not pay taxes, do not serve in the army or serve the country in any meaningful way, and then riot, make their women wear trash bags, and meet with Israel's enemies (see Fatah delegation that visited Mea Shearim last week). Haredim are a curse on this country and need to be stripped of all the benefits that everyone else in this country toils for.

Why does the media believe that Tzipi Livni will ever win an election? She would never be able to put a coalition together (especially as demographics are changing very quickly against the left). Also, Kadima cannot survive as a political entity as it has no purpose existing any more. Tzipi Livni is not a leader. She is a woman of average intellect who the media decided would be our saviour. Her party is in dissary and has no policies anyway. It is entirely made up of political opportunists who decided that it would be expedient to hang onto Sharon in order to ensure they would continue with their well-paid careers in the Knesset (case in point Mofaz - who will jump back to the Likud soon anyway if not made head of Kadima).

Haredim follow the Torah rule of law when it decides. The Torah ineither right nor left it is the middle ground. But so happens to be to be more accurate when it comes to man and his friend center of left, meaning giving tsedakah and respect for minorities, of the dead etc. However anything that has to do with man and Hashem is center of right which includes abortion, land etc

Furthermore, Ultra-Orthodox fanatics no worse than Ultra-anti-Orthodox fanatics! The two opposite, fringe-lunatic groups are equally bad for Israel, constantly and divisively warring with each other and crowding out reasonable moderate Jews. Paqid Yirmeyahu Paqid 16, The Netzarim, Ra'anana, Israel Israeli Torah-reverer (& Orthodox Jew) Advocate for Logic as Hermeneutic Halakhic Authority Welcoming All Torah-reverers (Jews & non-Jews)

LEECHES ARE SUCKING THE LIFE'S BLOOD OUT OF ISRAEL WAY PAST the time to morally and forcibly put these welfare whores to a real contributing work ethic instead of allowing the rest of the people to carry them on their backs. A shameful social condition that needs to be addressed bravely and responsibly. Freedom of religion and to worship and study, yes, but on their own time.

the haredi are no different from the usless and lazy arabs who expect to have everything handed to them on a plate. what have the haredi ever produced – NOTHING! all they do is take hand outs and riot when they don’t get their way becoz they have a 7th centery mentality. if they act like arab terrorists they should be treated the same. the haredi will never be trusted becasue they are not like normal jews who work hard and care for their children. ISRAEL OWES THE HAREDI NOTHING EXCEPT FOR A GOOD SWIFT QUICK KICK IN THEIR LAZY ASS. hameed aboughaze, iranian

Come on really there were blond haired and blue eyed Jews running the desert with Moses? You know there werent and that these people are descendents of converts send them back to Poland!

israel is a very strong, prosperous advanced country which is a gift to humanity in all fields. they are geniuses in everything they do YET two thirds of these haredi are ILLITERATE! and without any knowledge of reading and writing or computers. normal jews are 100% literate everywhere around the world, not to mention they are sucessful, rich, very intelligent, highly educated, modern, very very smart and professional. by comparrison, haredi are zeros. twafik hazmana muhammeed

70% of israelis are descendants of ARAB JEWS BORN IN ARAB LANDS and which were kicked out by muslim arab lands between 1948-1951. most isralis are sepharadi, which means descendants of arab jews from arab lands. not europeans! hameed aboughaze, iranian

...loses state benefits forcing them to actually get a job - like all seculars that work like maniacs just so lazy, ingrate Haredim can sit on their ass all day.

I am Haredi, and yes I am right-wing--meaning, I would vote for Likud or National Union before Shas and UTJ. Not only that, but I work and my husband also works and our sons have served in the IDF (the Nahal Haredi Battalion Netzach Yehuda) Oh and, all our relatives work too.

Unless you are aged infirm or deadly ill there should be no welfare whatsoever. Its high time that able bodied people goto work. Look whats happening in Greece where entitlement programs have soaked the country. Israel cant afford the cradle to grave social entitlement programs run amok. Welfare includes ridding yourself of the socialist monkey on your back including the kibbutzim who have never carried their own weight. Any group in Israel who vote in a block will hold you hostage. Get rid of the welfare and they will all piss up a row.

...It's about time. Thank you Menachem Geshaid for bringing this to light. I hope the public has the mental capacity to realize the truth in your words.

Leftists are a small minority in Israel despite the fact they have enormous power in the legal and media arenas. This power is exercised in most undemocratic manners against the beliefs of the large majority. Israel is a centre right country. That is why leftist parties, such as Labor, Meretz and even Kadima, are disappearing.

The usual boring anti Haradi rubbish, not a single properly analyised response. What do you people do ? store the same comments in the cupboard for the last 20 years and bring them out every time there is a Haradi issue. Be imaginative friends, think before you open your mouths, you are not campagining for some Facist party here. Let me ask you a simple question, how do you explain the support that Shas has amongst the Sephardim/Mizrahim public and not just from those who vote for them. Considering that this public makes up some 50%+ of the total Jewish population in Israel, you might wish to consider blabbing too much.

You can dissociate hareidi who are participating in the elections (the others have generally their political ideas much like meretz and others, but as they don't recognize Medinat Israel...) in a few groups : -the sefaradim : all of whom are profundly sionists and voting for Shass, Beit Yehudi or Ihoud Leumi -the UTJ voters, who are so much alike the right because of their vision based on the halakha -And habadnikim and some others hassidut and others, whose rabbanim all advice their follower Ihud Leumi or one of the like, mostly for the same reasons of the UTJ's one. -And in the end, the hareidi leumi. There is much more of them that we would think. Completely rightist. It's not because all of the religious parties share a socialist side that they will get on well with the israeli left, which is not at all defined because of it's will of being socialist...

Haredim to any other place willing to endure them!

from the fanatical-of-a-different-sort nutzarim. what's your point?