Are Ashkenazi Charedim Racist?

If this story in YWN doesn’t say it all, nothing does:

“In chareidi education, we don’t accept Sephardim, monkeys, Russians and Ethiopians”.

This was a comment supposedly in jest made by Jerusalem Councilman Yitzchak Pindrus who is himself Charedi.

There’s more:

When questioned regarding the incident on Wednesday by Haaretz, Pindrus is quoted as stating, “The readers of Haaretz are not my constituency so I have no interest in even apologizing.”

Although there were witnesses to the remark he later denied making it.

Right!

What was that about Ashkenazi Charedim and prejudice against Sephardim? Did someone say it doesn’t exist? …That a segregation case against a Beis Yaakov in Emmanuel pending before the Israeli courts is a nothing more than an attempt for the government to get a foothold in the Charedi educational system? …That the Agudah Moetzes in Amercia is screaming bloody murder about – calling it interference by the secular government into religious Charedi education – which ‘we must fight with all our strength’?

Hello? I can’t hear you…!

Can These Seven Patriots All Be Wrong?

What do Nicholas Katzenbach, Ramsey Clark, Edwin Meese, Richard Thornburgh, William Barr, Janet Reno and Kenneth Starr have in common with the Agudah, the OU, Chabad, and Young Israel?

They have all signed on to the notion that the proposed life sentence the prosecution has recommended for Shalom Rubashkin is excessive and that a much lighter sentence is warranted.

If those names are familiar it is because six of them were attorneys general in both Democratic and Republican administrations ranging back to President Johnson all the way up to the Clinton administration. And Ken Starr too said he will sign a letter to that effect (already signed by those attorneys general). He was the lead prosecutor in the investigation of President Clinton that lead to his impeachment in the US House of Representatives. It should be noted that the politics of these individuals vary widely.

Here is a portion of the letter that they have signed:

“We cannot fathom how truly sound and sensible sentencing rules could call for a life sentence -- or anything close to it -- for Mr. Rubashkin, a 51-year-old, first-time, non-violent offender whose case involves many mitigating factors and whose personal history and extraordinary family circumstances suggest that a sentence of a modest number of years could and would be more than sufficient to serve any and all applicable sentencing purposes”

This should tell you something about justice in this case. I hope the judge in that case takes notice and follows their lead.

Perhaps just as important is to note the lack of any anti-Semitism among these great American patriots on both the left and the right.

No Need to Apologize, General

You know, I really think Abe Foxman ought to get a life. He was apparently upset by a Jewish joke made during an address to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy - by Jim Jones, National Security Advisor to the President. If one reads the joke, it is actually pretty funny. But Abe Foxman thought it was anti-Semitic.

Have we lost our ability to laugh at ourselves? This joke is what bothers Mr. Foxman?!

Please! There is no way that a joke like this is sourced in anti Semitism. I have heard anti Semitic jokes. This one doesn’t come close.

That General Jones felt he had to apologize is a very sad commentary on the hyper-sensitivity of people like Mr. Foxman. He should know a lot better than that. If anyone should know what real anti-Semitism entails it is the heads of the anti defamation League, Abe Foxman. Making an issue about this is foolish and counterproductive.

There are a lot of things to worry about with respect to the Obama administration that are legitimate issues for us – such as the President’s foreign policy decisions. Or the Presidents recent rather shabby treatment of the Israeli Prime Minister, or his warming up to the Arabs and cooling off to Israel. And his lack of a plan to deal with Iran now that his diplomatic efforts have proven fruitless.

If Mr. Foxman wants to worry about something these are a few of the things he ought to be thinking about. But this joke? Give me a break!

Completely Evil People

The following is reported in YWN. Here it is in its entirety:

A violent protest took place earlier in Bnei Brak, in front of Ponavez Yeshiva and the area of Chazon Ish and Yismach Moshe Streets as the nation marks Independence Day. According to reports, most of the participants are not areas residents, but from Yerushalayim.

An Israeli flag was set ablaze in front of police in front of the yeshiva, as a large flag waves on the pole above the yeshiva building as is the custom annually on Independence Day (reported earlier today by YWN Israel). At least one police car was damaged as a result of the protestors throwing rocks. At this time, it appears the main protest has dispersed but there are occasional reports of rock-throwing and minor disturbances.

I have no clue who these people were. The story says they were probably from Jerusalem. I assume they are Meah Shearimniks. But let us even assume that they are Ahmadinijad hugging Neturei Kartaniks whom everyonme condemns. Why are they tolerated? What possible justification is there for them to do these things? I get so angry when I see these kinds of things happening. It goes against every fiber of my being.

Flag burning may be legal. It may even be a form of free speech. But so is shunning these people as pariahs. They ought to be vocally condemned for what they do by their own leaders even if they agree with them in spirit. And certainly the Roshei Yeshiva at Ponevezh should. These people are nothing more than evil incarnate- Reshaim Gemurim! To the extent that what any of they did is illegal it would be a Mitzvah Min HaMuvchar to report them to the police and testify against them in court.

I don’t care how long their beards are. They will get their just deserts in the world to come. And it isn’t going to be the kind of 'deserts' they like.

Not So Silent

I haven't posted on EvE II for awhile. Been busy with EvE I. But I just noticed that my last post about Matzav.com considering eliminating the comments section has in fact been resolved. One can still comment there more than six weeks after they considered stopping it.

It's nice to know that even a very Charedi blog like this allows the voice of the people to be heard.

Just thought I'd mention it.