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December 29, 2011 | 9:21 am

The Ultra Orthodox Demographic Challenge - and How Annexation of the West Bank Solves the Problem

Posted by Rabbi Asher Lopatin

The Real Demographic Threat in Israel: Ultra-Orthodox taking over the Knesset
Anyone who reads this blog is almost certainly horrified by the violence, hatred and downright nastiness of the Ultra-Orthodox terrorists who are so cowardly that they are trying to intimidate the Dati Le’umi, Religious Zionist community by attacking their children going to school. But we need to recognize that because of the current system of government in Israel, nothing can happen while the Chareirdi, Ultra Orthodox have so much power in the Knesset because of their organizational skills and sheer numbers. Moreover, with their huge birthrate – thank God for more Jews! – they are going to have more influence in the years to come, not less.

So it is time to reconsider something that some of my Right wing friends are suggesting: Israel should annex – unilaterally if need be – the West Bank, Yehuda and Shomron, and give the 1.7 million Arabs living there the vote. That will throw off the demographic strenglehold of the Chareidi parties by shaking up the make-up of the Knesset. No doubt many of those Arabs will vote for the Leftist, more secular parties. In addition, to deal with the imbalance of Arab votes, Israel should open the gates to more Jew-ish people from Africa and South America and combine them with the Jew-ish people from the former FSU to build a fire-wall against the Chareidi Ultra-Orthodox parties. The Ultra-Orthodox will not embrace these Jews or quasi Jews from Nigeria and Unganda – in fact, the Conservative world has done more to reach out to them than anyone else. So we will have the perfect balance in Israel to recalibrate and minimize the power of the Ultra Orthodox world and restore Israel to the “status quo” that existed in the early decades of the State, when Shlomo Goren and much more tolerant and Zionist religious Jews dominated the Jewish scene. This is not a joke: Israel, in my mind, is suffering from forms of xenophobia that are keeping the United States back as well, when we compare it to the growth and success of Australia and Canada which have successfully allow immigrant populations to provide diversity and balance.

I welcome the conversation…

Rabbi Asher Lopatin

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Rabbi, your eggnogg was really spiked.  You haven’t figured out that nationalism isn’t a high priority for the Haredi or ultra-Orthodox as you term them. The Ultra-Orthodox are likely to form voting coalitions with any West Bank Arabs, African migrants you can toss at them….even Republicans, who consistently vote against their interests on the Weiner Bank of NY and Kiryas Yoel.  Be careful what you wish for.

Comment by Pini Herman on 12/29/11 at 12:16 pm

I’m a fan of this blog, but take serious issue with this post.  Israel is first and foremost a Jewish state—that is why it was founded and what differentiates it from any other country Jews live in.  While annexing the West Bank sounds fine by me, the motivation so we can make 1.7M Arabs citizens of our dear Jewish state?  How nearsighted, what’s the picture look like in 10 years?  20?  This will not be solved by putting hopes on some external connived power balancing act.  The chilul hashem happening in Israel now is similar to other issues such as conversion or segregation in that it will only be solved internally by the Jewish people.

Comment by Chaim on 12/30/11 at 9:52 am

I wish my first post on this blog was to support the pushing the envelope sensitivities such as Rabbi Shafner has written, not this sad post.  To use the word “terrorist” referring to the actions by some Ultra-Orthodox is purposely equating them to the true terrorists in the area which murder civilians and send rockets into Israel.  While the treatment of this girl as well as the riots that occurred today were disgusting and must be addressed, using the word “terrorist” as well as some of the other language in this short post to me reads not so different than the hateful language I read from some of the writings of those you protest.

Comment by Chaim on 12/30/11 at 9:52 am

This blog should allow more than 700 characters to allow for substantive responses, especially since the posts are moderated anyway.  Here is my third section to complete my response:

We should hold ourselves to a higher standard and this Jew on Jew hatred is a lesson we were supposed to have learned from the destruction of the Second Temple.  To avoid a repeat, we should encourage our Rabbinic leadership to unequivocally speak against such actions—not just in this instance where it has gotten such public exposure, but also the other ethics violations becoming too common in our community.

Comment by Chaim on 12/30/11 at 9:54 am

these few charedim should be locked up and the key should be thrown away. They need psychiatric help. Hitler and today’s neo-nazis gain in stature when pictures of these insane idiots are seen througthout the world. RABBI DR. BERNHARD ROSENBERG

Comment by rabbi dr. bernhard rosenberg on 12/30/11 at 10:21 am

We frankly should do what Rev. Lopatin is saying plus give Philista (Palestine) back to the Philistines (Palestinians) as a Yehudah-ruled terrority m’Yisra’el.

Comment by Nickidewbear on 12/31/11 at 4:59 pm

‎1) Annexation would be a political disaster.

2) Many Arabs would not accept Israeli citizenship.

3) Replacing one demographic threat with another won’t help.

4) Even the ‘moderate’ National Religious camp will violently oppose granting citizenship to West Bank Arabs.

7) If you add another 2 million Arab voters, they may form a bloc and create new parties, rather than joining existing leftist parties.

6) FSU Jews are often far from moderate when it comes to issues of tolerance, whether of the religious or the Arabs, but have nevertheless built the current coalition together with the Ultra-Orthodox parties. Who says they will abandon that coalition in the face of new Arab votes?

Comment by I Tick on 12/31/11 at 5:01 pm

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