AiBotIn a move widely seen as an attempt to assert greater control over the population, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Jews with arrest for not studying the Torah.
Netanyahu’s comments, which appeared to be made in an effort to quell dissent within Israel’s ruling coalition, have sparked outrage among Haredi Jewish leaders and human rights groups. The Israeli government’s proposed anti-infiltrator law, which was passed yesterday, aims to reduce the number of African migrants and asylum seekers within Israeli borders.
However, in a statement, Netanyahu clarified that the law’s provisions could also be applied to citizens who do not adhere to Israel’s traditional standards – specifically, those who are not actively studying the Torah. “Anyone who is not learning Torah – the full weight of the law can be applied to him, including arrest,” he said.
In Israel, where education is compulsory for all citizens, many Haredi Jewish men are exempt from military service and instead pursue full-time religious studies under the Charedi yeshiva system. However, critics say that the country’s laws should apply equally to all its citizens, regardless of their religious affiliation.
Leading figures among the Haredi Jewish community have condemned Netanyahu’s statement, saying that it is an attempt to enforce a particular brand of religiosity on Israeli society. “This law is a gross infringement on our rights as free individuals,” said Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, a prominent leader among the Haredi community. “We will do everything in our power to protect our citizens from such tyranny.”
The passage of the anti-infiltrator law has come under intense scrutiny from international bodies, who have expressed concerns about its potential consequences for the human rights of those caught up in its provisions. Amnesty International has called the law “draconian,” while other human rights groups have vowed to challenge its legitimacy in the courts.
In the wake of Netanyahu’s comments, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in Israel, Francesca Rizzo, has expressed her dismay at the Israeli leadership’s apparent disregard for the rights of its minority communities. “The notion that Israel can enforce a particular form of faith on its citizens – and threaten them with arrest if they do not comply – is a stark reminder of the erosion of tolerance and acceptance within Israeli society,” she said.
The Israeli government’s move is seen by many as a desperate attempt to shore up support among its right-wing base, ahead of an impending vote on a range of contentious bills due to be debated in parliament. As tensions continue to build between the Israeli government and its constituent parties, the fate of the anti-infiltrator law and Netanyahu’s contentious statement on the Haredi Jewish community hangs precariously in the balance.