Has A Line Been Drawn?

More and more Rabbanim of the Dati-Leumi fold are coming out openly against those Rabbanim who signed in support of Katzav. This incident has brought forward into the open the schism that all members of the Dati-Leumi movement have long felt - Basically the Haral (initals of Haredi-Leumi) and Dati-Leumi factions.


Here are some quick summaries of the more interesting writers:


Harav Beni Lou,'s article in Ynet is probably the most talked about call to arms. The article titled "We have established in Israel the Kingdom of Hardal)" attacked Harav Aviner strongly for his letter of support of Katzav, and stated that it appears that Harav Aviner has adopted an ideology of glorifying the state, but demonizing its institutions. This is interpreted as an ideology leading to segregation - and in essence being a Haredi ideology. The article ends  (My own translation ):

"You can't in the name of "the state" destroy the little we have. We must gather the forces of the Dati-Leumi public that wishes to free itself from the world of these Rabbanim. This is the moment that the religious leadership that wishes to connect the Zionist movment to its' Jewish roots - must shake off this sect and lead the vision of redemtion to an earthly sphere, where vision meets the Israeli reality at a realistic level." אי-אפשר בשם "המדינה" להחריב את המעט שיש לנו. מוכרחים לרכז כוחות של ציבור דתי-ציוני שמבקש להשתחרר מעוּלם של רבנים אלו. זה הרגע שבו ההנהגה הדתית, המבקשת לחבר את הציונות אל שורשיה היהודיים - צריכה להתנער מהכת הזו, ולהוביל את חזון הגאולה אל מחוזות ארציים, שבהם ייפגש החזון עם המציאות הישראלית בגובהה האמיתי. 

Harav Yoel Ben Nun follows the same line stating that anyone who claims that the Israeli Courts are "Courts of Goyim" (I.e a halachic concept meaning courts that don't follow Halacha - and where justice isn't done - and therefore can be ignored) does not see the state in a positive religious status (Malchut) regardless of whether he says Hallel on Independence day. In another article Harav Yoel calls for parents to stop sending their children to institutions that identify the state as a problem 

"On the day when most of the parents of children in "Bnei Akiva" (Lit: the tribe) that defining the state and its institutions as a threat and enemy is worse then possibly becoming Hiloni (because it involves Hilul Hashem), and that it is very dangerous to our children - then the change will begin. "
ביום שיבינו רוב ההורים בשבט, שהגדרת המדינה ומוסדותיה כאיום וכאויב, חמורה יותר מפריקת עול חילונית (כי יש בה גם חילול השם), והיא מסוכנת לילדינו מאד, יתחיל השינוי. 

Harav Yoel continues and states that Bnei Akiva has been taken over by "Midreshet Harova". I.E that it is led by an ideology of the Hardal camp. He though does not go as far as Prof Avi Sagi, who recently published an article where he called on abandoning the drowning ship of Bnei Akiva - for much of the same reasons. Harav Yoel just calls for a retaking of Bnei Akiva.  


Following similar lines, Harav Piron openly accuses the Hardal camp of bringing a Haredi normative reality into the Dati-Leumi fold. He even states that he preferres allowing Haredi Rabbanim to teach in the Dati-Leumi schools, then allowing Rabbanim of the Hardal disposition to teach there - because the Haredi ones are at least open about what they believe, and are clearly "Not us". 


I'm happy that so many leaders have awoken due to the last two "Rabbanim Letters". It seems that if nothing else, the Rabbanim who signed those letters have succeeded in brining out into the open the schism that is developing within the Dati-Leumi community. This division has been growing more and more obvious - with the spreading of Yeshivot that teach no secular education, and with the slow spread of influence of Rabbanim as Poskim in political matters. The old Mizrachi ideals, are starting to review the spread of the influence of the Merkaz Harav teachings and leadership.




Source: Most of the articles mentioned were collected in this Srugim article.