Comment

Welcome To Haredistan, 'welfare state that would make the Scandinavians jealous'

12
Bob Levin1/05/2012 3:20:00 pm PST

How about we get clear on what this article is about?

This is not an article about the Haredi per se, but rather an article about the relationship between the state and the Haredi communities. Therefore, an examination into the accuracy of this article would lead to laws and programs enacted by the entire State of Israel which pertain to the Haredi communities.

For instance, we know that the education is different, as many have posted articles about this, as many rabbis have written on the need for greater emphasis on secular subjects. In other words, there isn’t anything in this article that I haven’t read on JPost or Ynet—regarding education.

Are there different requirements for service in the military? How is housing built—it’s difficult all over Israel. Are there different types of housing projects, in terms of funding, in the Haredi communities?

These are the topics of the article. If you disagree with this article, are you taking a position that there is no greater state support of Haredi communities than for residents of Tel Aviv? Or are you saying that the state support is not as extensive as the article implies? If it is not as extensive, then where are the limits?

In other words, is Ha’aretz making this up, or is it referring to specific programs that do exist, but exist in limited ways?