Does the author realize that there are different types of Haredim? Most of the ones i know are Zionists that love Israel, do serve in the army, dont wear black and do work. The ones he is talking about are the extreme branch that are against Zionism.......they should be kicked out if they hate this country so much! But to bunch them all together and say all the branches are the same, is ludicrous!

Not true in our haredi school! This kind of article is propaganda. Do your research better and present exactly what groups you are talking about. There are plenty of us charedim working, paying taxes funding your schools while paying privately for ours, voting, teaching our kids to respect every Jew, standing still when the siren rings, and more... We do not need the hatred that this kind of article incites just because we dress the way you describe in it. Shame on you for bringing more hatred to Israel!

zaplatka would be a perfect provokator.

but oppose the government.Big difference.

When i was studying at tel-aviv university in the 80's,Dr. Mahmood,Biologist and friend,told me:"Israeli's don't understand.We're not gonna drive you into the sea,we're gonna drive you crazy. Then you will start eating one another and go away." might he be right? And with Bennet and Lapid helping,things are speeding up.

Right on JayJay, Furthermore may I add, that the "black hats", (with rare exceptions), do not represent or practice genuine Jewish spirituality, which is manifest in the statement of Hillel: "Ve Ahavta leRe'echa Kamocha". Amen

I find it odd that they are anti - Zionist. How is it possible being a Jew, a Hebrew, Israelite. And be anti Zionist? Next year in Jerusalem.

Just the Neturei Karta and the Satmer, who aren't Jews, anyway.

There is another side to the coin. That is that the secular violate in public many of Judaisms rites and symbols. These are held dearly by the religious Example Driving through religious neighborhoods on Shabbos Eating and drinking on yom kippur and tish bav in public restaurants women dressing very untzinius in public places and so forth If the secular want the religious to respect their symbols in public Shouldn't they do the same By the way I am a religous Zionist jew in Brooklyn. I remember and think about the various Zionist holidays but I don't celebrate them only because I don't live in Israel. If I did I would

when it made those symbols. In fact, most of the Israeli symbols seem like they were designed in such a way as to offend the jewish sensibilities. Memorial Day and Independence days were chosen to be during the month of Nissan and during the decree of no festivities of the Sefirah. The star of David on the flag has a mystical source which is unknown to most jews. etc etc.

are to be respected. Period. Whatever this drugeed by religion public want's to do, they're better do it within four walls of their home/synagouge/circus-tents... No, religious neurosis is not to be equalled with secular laws & modes of behaviour. It is that very same mistake in regard to Islam, that may cost the world dearly in the not too distant future. Religions are first and foremost ideologies and they have to conform to the sane majority's world-view. Yes education, as with everything, is the culprit. When you let the Men In Black brain wash their children from the cradle, what do you expect?

The Haredim ignore the Horrific Shoah and the Fate of poorly Armed Nations and Helplessly Hated People's especially the Jews and more the Haredim who refused to join generally Partisan movements or even Flee from the Nazi Army .

Two groups -- the Neturei Karta and the Satmer -- are awaiting a messianic delivery. Nothing less will do. But they are more than just anti-Zionist. They give aid and comfort to Israel's enemies. They routinely attend anti-Zionist conferences that are held in Iran. They don't pay taxes or even recognize the legitimacy of the State of Israel, yet they don't have a problem drawing on the resources of the State which they do not recognize, such as for housing stipends, stipends for their yeshiva study, and medical care for the endless number of babies they bring into the world. If that's not the ultimate hypocrisy, I don't know what is. Time to send them packing. They can await the Messiah somewhere outside of Israel. Most of the Haredim are decent people who support and defend the State of Israel, and are Zionists. The Neturei Karta and Satmer are just not Jews. Their behavior is outrageous, and should not be tolerated.

I agree %100 we work pay our taxes my children stand and say tehilim during the siren, which is is a far better way to remember the souls that were lost, we talk about the holocaust, and the wars that took place here in Israel. in addition to paying our way, we pay for private schooling, all we get in return is people constantly looking down at us and finding a way to "dirty" our image to the public

Sure they love this country, where else on earth can you never work a day in your life and live off other peoples tax money without contributing a thing?

Haredim live in a ghetto mentality, their primary fear is assimilation and exposure to other ideas. Their education has been carefully developed by the Rabbi's to alienate them from their surroundings. For them the State and it's symbols are a competing ideology and are thus treated like an enemy.

They work thousand time more than secular people. Haim,volunteer to be one day with 12 children ,cooking for them,nourishing them,washing them and their clothes,waking them up in the morning ,preparing sandwiches,dress the little ones and so on .Remember,all this while the women work outside. The tax money is spent for worse posts than increasing the Jewish population in Israel. Of course non-Jews and leftists will not eat it. But those who want Israel to stay Jewish ....that s a different kettle of fish.

Although true that there are those who identify as Chareidim that work/pay taxes etc. There is a very large portion of their population that still do not support the State of Israel. The original founders of the State of Israel were secular to a fault - they are the ones that cut off the peyot of the Yemenite Jews and created the secular Israeli society, convinced the "new Jew" did not need the ways of the "old Jew". Go forward 65 years and that stance has changed too. The Secular are often not so militant against religious, they are reactionary to what the religious put in THEIR face. It's time for both sides to look at the other with a clean slate and figure out a middle ground.

Its a fact that some haredi sects do not recognise Israel or its right to exist because they do not believe Jews have a right to a homeland until the Messiah comes. Is that a crime though, are we not all entitled to our beliefs? Puling down flags is not in good taste admittedly and neither memorial day or independence day have any meaning to them because they are important days in Israel which has no right to exist until the messiah comes. These radical hared also do not vote or claim state benefits so leave them to live in their ghettos. Also remember not all haredi are radical, they might all dress the same way but they are not all radical.

Ora! All the people want is that the haredim show , without having to become less orthodox, that they are ready to do something that shows that they are part of the country's life. that's the meaning of "kol Israel arevim ze la ze" (all Israel is interdependant). Not doing it is tantamount to excluding oneself from the community of Israel. (Ha motsie et atsmo min ha klal, kafar be ikar)

Memorial and rememberance day I will agree that those who do not stop are wrong. The reason the charedim don't celebrate Independence Day is because they are religious and therefore don't celebrate a festival that atheists introduced. By the way ...since ynet is usually so obsessed with yair lapid, how come they didn't print prominent israeli journalist amnon Levi's recent comments on him? Oh of course, it's because he tells it how it is which doesn't cast lapid in a good light...silly me

In Brooklyn where you live there is only one side to the coin. Respect the law and uphold it. Respect your fellow citizen. Be loyal to your country. There is no other side.

Read #16. What he say is true of ALL HAREDIM.

You are writing with the assumption that the government education system of Israel is SO GREAT . lLooking at the results of the schools run by the government the youth of today are WITHOUT DERECH ERETZ.Children are not taught any values and responsibilities that the religious schools emphasize.The youth that are not taught with religious education have turned into aragant lost societies with much vulgarities in their speech and impatience without any strong Jewish identity to relate to.The government for the past 30 years thanks to Meretz and leftist organizations had robbed Jewish children their right to strong Jewish heritage knowledge so that they identify with their roots. Our Jewish roots go far back more than our state Independence and the population that does not educate their children with religious and biblical knowledge deprive their youth of their REAL JEWISH IDENTITY THAT CONNECTS EVERY JEW TO THE LAND OF ISRAEL AND TO EACH OTHER AS JEWS WITH OUR ROOTS GOING ALL THE WAY BACK TO OUR AVRAHAM .YITZCHAK AND YAAKOV AVOTEINU. I WOULD HIGHLY RECCOMEND ALL THE JEWISH SCHOOLS EDUCATE THE JEWISH YOUTH OF WHAT IS EACH JEWISH CHILDS' RIGHT TO BE EDUCATED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT HASHEM GAVE ALL OF THE LAND OF ISRAEL TO THE JEWISH PEOPLE AND THE TORAH TO THE JEWISH PEOPLE TO FOLLOW .In addition, WHEN YOU EDUCATE THE YOUTH WITH THEIR TRUE HERITAGE THE VIOLENCE IN THE SCHOOLS WILL STOP,THE DERECH ERETZ FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS WILL BE STRONG AND THE TRUE LOVE OF THE LAND WILL BE PART OF EVERY JEW WITH THE GREAT BLESSINGS FROM HASHEM FOR HIS BELOVED AM HAYEHUDI!

every year these photo loving nuts come out of their boxes to be photographed as if every charadi thinks and approves their behavior. Some do, but most charadim do not agree with the lunitics in Meah Sharim who must act like this in front of the camera. What is shameful is the public's acceptance of these few 'zebras' (as the charadim call them) as being the sole and true representative of Torah Judaism. They are far, far from it!

I, too, have little respect for most of Israel's past governments, but I still respect the symbols of our State.....that is the big difference, ORA

Your claim that Neturei Karta and Satmar are not Jews is ludicrous. Also your claim that they are the only Haredim who do not respect Remembrance Day and Independence Day cannot be substantiated. This is another case of "the tail wagging the dog." Extremist minorities always carry the day. Your own "Tea party" is just one example.

The writer focuses only on the heredim but, as all leftists do, totally ignores a much worse situation in moslem schools. These schools not only teach hate but also instill in children their obligation to rebel against the state and to hate all Jews. i am only asking the writer (and also Lapid), to focus on this problem as much as they are focusing on the Heredim.

is perfect. If only all the different parties could focus and learn from the positive sides of others,israel would be a nicer place to live.