With the haredim, it will not be by persuasion - opinion

• Author: DAN PERRY
• Published date: 02 October 2021
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

This idea sounds progressive and correct, but it's misleading and in this context dangerous. The dawn of a new Hebrew year is a good time to examine the issue, which is vital to the future of the Jewish state, people and religion.

Persuasion is increasingly difficult across society. But even in our mulish era the ultra-Orthodox leadership stands out: there is no one to persuade; they strongly tend to disrespect perceived weakness and will clearly respond to pressure alone. If modern Israel wishes to preserve itself it must decide what is needed, act, and be ready for a degree of conflict.

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Which is not the end of the world. This, more or less, is how the state acts on most matters with most people. The tax bill and the draft notice simply arrive in the mail. It's true that the haredim have been exempt from coersion for so long that a change would beget anger and shock. But there is no choice, because an emergency is at hand whose contours are basically these:

The haredim largely refuse to teach students a core curriculum that will make them employable. Only about half the men work and many of these are in fictitious positions funded by the state in a vast religious bureaucracy that is largely an indirect subsidy to the sector.

The other half are encouraged to study religion all their lives; this gets them community respect and also puts great power in the hands of the community leaders. Moreover, evading the army is made possible by yeshiva study, which ensures mass enrollment and helps the leadership keep their flock cloistered.

Haredi families have over seven children on average, which is so much higher than the rest of society (in Israel as well as anywhere) that the community doubles itself every 16 years (attrition is low), placing Israel en route to a haredi majority in a few generations – unfathomable though this may be to most non-haredim.

This setup is made economically possible by haredi expectations that rather than paying a tuition, the adult religion students will receive a salary, through huge discounts on municipal tax, daycare and the like, and by subsidies for each child without limit. Maintaining this as the community grows further will require tax increases, will lead to tax revolts and emigration and will eventually bring the economy to collapse.

Beyond the prosaic, there is a philosophical conflict...