Holocaust survivor attacked in Holon
Photo: Hagai Dekel
Yoram Kaniuk
Photo: Michael Kramer
Lawless anarchy in Israel
Op-ed: Recent violence against elderly proves State lacks compassion, proper education
Being an elderly person in Israel
is no less than an act of heroism.
In "Nevelot" (villainy) I tried to show that this despicable disease can be combated. But not all of us are Yossi Pollak and Yehoram Gaon, who played the book's protagonists who chose to fight. The majority are crippled and weak. Life is tough. They have just a little left to breathe. How much power do they have against a young man in a car, who holds flowing text messages in one hand and puts his other hand on his girl's shoulder?
"Elderly people are transparent," says Yehoram Gaon in "Nevelot," a television series based on the novel "Eagles" which I wrote more than 20 years ago. True, who sees them? So an old, bent, sick Holocaust survivor of all people serves as prey for natives, who know that as long as they took Moses' Shabbat elevators – there's nothing wrong with them. Why should they care if I'm trying to cross a pedestrian crossing. What, does it belong to my mother?
Violence
A day after a Holocaust survivor was attacked in Holon, a 75-year-old Herzilya man assaulted by 27-year old for commenting on his dog. Amiram Oron suffers open break on his leg, bruising. Police arrest suspect
So get out of the way, the inheritor of our taxes, because we're the young and healthy ones and we're sick of supporting you with all your medications. Get out of here, and we'll beat you up, because there's no law against it. Because there are only fancy words. And why should they stop killing and hitting if all they get as a result is a few days of house arrest?
For years there has been no proper education in Israel. There is a factory for success, for becoming big fish. An eight-year-old child wants to be famous. Now we have a new education minister, but in spite of his strong desire he is first and foremost a rabbi, and Israel's rabbis try not to discuss moral questions. They have the Halacha. They run life like a herd.
What we need is an American rabbi like the great Rabbi Soloveitchik, but he refused to come to Israel. He probably knew what would become of this country. A country which permits beating up Arab kids will change nothing.
When I returned injured from the State's establishment, in a cast, I was greeted by my father Moshe. "Yoram," he said, "Jews and a state – it won't work." He was right. If there is no compassion, togetherness and sentiment – there is no state. There is self-righteous anarchy. Because what can they do to a person who hit and ran? He'll forget all about it and escape to the club to dance.
