Merkaz HaRav, the yeshiva chosen by the Arab gunman for last night’s massacre, is a flagship yeshiva that stands at the heart of the Religious Zionist movement and should not be confused with the extreme anti-Israel strain of yeshiva population. One Merkaz HaRav student shot the gunman twice in the head with a pistol he had at his side; I assume they are very realistic about the situation in Israel.
But it makes me wonder about the yeshivas that are anti-Israel; that yeshiva boys can dodge the army all they want, but as long as Jews live in this land, they will be involved in the blood that is spilled over it. Whatever their politics. So it works both ways, for peace-loving secularists and for Israel-hating Charedis. I wonder how the Charedi community – the anti-Israel one – is working this out.
“It’s the secularists fault for not studying Torah.”
“It’s because Mashiach is not here yet, this country is impure.”
“More proof that Arabs are animals, sent by God to destroy us for our sins.”
Just my own speculation. And it’s certainly not close to all Charedis Jews – that would be a very unfair and unrealistic generalization… I do think it is a bit eerie that just yesterday Barak refused to exempt 1,000 yeshiva students from army service.
All I know is that from thousands of years ago to yesterday to tomorrow… whether the yeshiva community likes it or not… blood and books are an inevitable mix.
(ynet)
They released the names of the 8 boys killed:
Yohai Lifshitz, 18, of Jerusalem Yehonatan Yitzhak Alder, 16, of Shilo Yonadav Haim Hirshfeld, 19, of Kochav Hashahar Neria Cohen, 15, of Jerusalem Roy Rot, 18, of Elkana Segev Peniel Avihail, 15, of Neveh Daniel Avraham David Mozes, 16, of Efrat Maharta Tronoh, 26, of Ashdod
Keep their memory in our prayers, along with the dozens wounded.
Whadya got: