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Disappointment in Beit Shemesh: 'City is radicalizing'
Michal Margalit
Published: 23.10.13, 13:56
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13 Talkbacks for this article
1. Re-election of an extremist.
Spencer ,   Israel   (10.23.13)
The re-election of Shas member Moshe Abutbul does not augur well for Beit Shemesh. Abutbul and his supporters showed their true colours in their DIRTY campaign leading up to the elections. Hopefully the police investigations into fraudulent votes will soon be completed and I have no doubt that all the guilty ones were supporters of the religious extremist candidate. They MUST be prosecuted and the maximum sentence permitted must be imposed when they are found guilty. These religious fanatics seem to be unaware of a number of the Ten Commandments and to what Judaism is all about.
2. Talk about hate mongering read this article and go toamirror
Shadoil ,   Jerusalem   (10.23.13)
3. Backwards Religious Fanaticism.
David Clarke ,   Liverpool, England.   (10.23.13)
Violent Religious fanaticism and Zealotry is fast becoming a cancer within Israel. Whether it be Charedi Fundamentalists who violently attack and exclude women, Non-Jews and Non-Ultra-Orthodox Jews who don't conform to their standards of Judaism, or whether it be National-Religious Settler Zealots like the Hilltop youth who come down from their trailer parks in the West Bank and vandalize and destroy the property, livelihoods and holy places of Arabs through Price tagging. These messianic fanatics are a tumor that needs to be cut out if Israel is to progress as a nation.
4. Voting
Valerie ,   Israel   (10.23.13)
If we had compulsay voting as they do in Australia for example, we would truly have proportional representation. And even better, the extremists would not be elected as they are in the minority. If you have voted you have a right to complain about your council or government. If you haven't voted, keep quiet.
5. MOVE
Avi ,   Tel Aviv   (10.23.13)
The answer unfortunately is to move to a city where there aren't Charedim and take your tax payments with you. If all the working peoples leave out from there who will pay for all of their municipal services?
6. Tolerance and respect
Sherlock Holmes ,   London England   (10.23.13)
It's hard to visualise one group of Jews driving another group of Jews out of town. In large Diaspoa Jewish communities we manage to all co-exist with tolerance and respect -- Ashkenazim and Sephardim, Litvish, Yekkish, Hasidisch, Zionist, anti-Zionist -- everyone except for 'misguided outcasts' from Naturei Karta.
7. Clarke #3, You mention "price tagging"
Jake   (10.23.13)
but make mention of the orgy of lethal Arab terror that has been escalating of late. What bloody hypocrisy and sickening double standards.
8. This is news? They are building their ghetto in Beit Shemesh
miki ,   tampa   (10.23.13)
for years, leave now before you are trapped inside the walls.
9. To Jake.
David Clarke ,   Liverpool, England   (10.23.13)
Jake im commenting on Jewish religious Fundamentalism and Zealotry in Beit Shemesh and other areas of Israel, I condemn terrorism and religious fanaticism wherever its found, whether Christian, Jewish or Islamic.
10. Secede
Josh Ebert ,   Chicago   (10.23.13)
What about seceding? Why does not the section of the city that is not extremist Hareidi vote to secede and physically cut themselves off from the radicals? Let Shas/Abutbul have a merry time with all the Naturei Kartas.
11. Don't vote, don't complain
Ephraim ,   Jerusalem   (10.24.13)
According to most reports, turnout was low throughout the country. If you didn't vote, then shut up. People like to complain, but then do nothing to change the situation. If all the seculars and moderates voted, you could have sent Abutbul home. No one to blame but yourselves.
12. he was not entitled to win
zionist forever   (10.24.13)
In democracy its the one with the most votes who wins not the ones that feels they are entitled to win. Even if you and your supporters don't like the religious should remember more people voted for them than they did for you, thats not radicalism its democracy.
13. 11
zionist forever   (10.24.13)
Since I was old enough to vote I have always taken part in every election national and local because I do take the attitude that if I don't vote I have no right to criticise because i had my chance to try bring out a different result but didn't exercise it. Shame that people in the western world don't take notice of what people are like in the developed world when they are getting their first taste of democracy as they come out in their droves to vote. Not voting makes it a less democratic country.
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