Religion Magazine

Haredi Autonomy in Eretz Yisrael

By Gldmeier @gldmeier
The big news of the day seems to have been an article in Hamodia (Hebrew edition). Hamodia wrote an article suggesting the formation of an autonomous Jewish state in Eretz Yisrael.
(sources: NRGkikar, Ladaat, INN)
Before I say anything else, I would first point out that the two State Solution has gone from Two States to One State back to Two States, then Three States and it looks like Four States is also a possibility now!
I saw articles about this in just about every Israeli news website, but will quote from INN (out of laziness, so I dont have to translate it myself):
In an article published Wednesday, the paper attacked religious-Zionist politicians who formed an alliance with Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party rather than with hareidi parties, and laid out the significant ideological differences between the hareidi-religious and religious-Zionist communities.
The article then accused, “Led by the media and Supreme Court, which are fed by left-wing organizations funded by anti-Semites, they chose to deny the status quo which was achieved through great effort, and to break all the agreements, like the authorization of fictitious conversions and civil marriage, and to interfere with - and harm - the hareidi community.”
“If there is no improvement, there is an option that must be considered as a last resort – to create a Jewish autonomy in the Land of Israel,” it continued.
“Autonomy means administrative independence regarding internal affairs, without the status of a sovereign state, with legislative and economic independence and police, and without an army or foreign policy,” it stated.
According to the writers, the plan has a real chance of success. “If we managed to establish Bnei Brak, Elad and Modiin Illit, Laniado [hospital] and Ezer Mitzion, we can also establish an electric company, highways, and whatever else is needed,” they wrote.
The article suggested that economic independence would benefit the hareidi community, as it would allow for a system in which hareidi workers are not limited by non-recognition of their academic background or by immodesty in the workplace.  In addition, it argued, the hareidi autonomy would not need to spend large sums on sports, modern culture, prisons or treatment centers for drug addiction.
“Torah scholars will be respected members of society and will get decent stipends, and we will ensure housing at reasonable prices,” it added.
Considering that there already is "Jewish autonomy" in Eretz Yisrael, this would likely actually be "Haredi autonomy". I am not quite sure how this will work.
  • Will they demand a certain piece of land?
  • Will they demand Jerusalem as their capital or maybe Bnei Braq?
  • Will they have demands and negotiate with Israel to get them?  
  • will they expect a contiguous piece of land for their new country? 
  •  they say they wont have the need to spend money on prisons and  drug addiction centers - do they think everyone in their new society will be perfect or will they just kick anyone who misbehaves out and send them to Israel? When a young haredi man will be caught smuggling drugs into some country or other, will they fight for his release and then just send him to kollel?
  • will they need an army? police?
  • they will ensure cheap housing, 
  • they wont be limited in the workplace by their lack of education - I wonder what their hospitals will look like as far as the quality of the doctors who did not get an education, or how safe their buildings will be being built by people who were no longer hampered in the workplace because of no education. Fly on one of their airplanes and then you find out the pilot is a graduate of the best yeshiva in Bnei Braq. 
  • Is it safe to assume that this will be an Internet-free country? 
  • Will all buses be mehadrin? Or maybe it will be a female-free country and they will only take the men into this new country.
  • A serious crime in this new country will not necessarily be drugs or violence, as of course there will not be any, but being caught with a smartphone will get you 7 to 10 years in prison.
  • Will they run the legal system as a halachic state? Will it be a democracy? Elections?
I wonder which country I would choose to live in, should this come into existence. A country in Eretz Yisrael established by frum people - that should be ideal!
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