A new Israeli Government has now been formed and this will be the first time that the religious Haredi parties will be sitting out on the sidelines and not in the Government. No more fat men in their black coats – there are no fat lady Knesset Members in their parties because they are not allowed -chas v chilila- will sit inside the government and write out blank checks for their rabbis and yeshivas. No more exempting yeshiva students from joining the army while they sit back and pretend to study in a yeshiva and make babies. No more blackmailing and shoving down religious laws and decrees down the throats of the Israeli public.
Maybe now 300,000 mostly Russian Israelis who do serve in the army, who pay taxes, hmmm -that's an interesting concept- and are proud to be Israeli won't have to fly to Cypress to get married because in Israel the Rabbis don't deem them Jewish enough and forbid them from getting married in any type of ceremony. Just maybe we can have Civil Weddings in Israel to save them the indignation and expense of flying abroad just to put a ring on it.
Maybe for once the honor of serving in the IDF will be evenly divided between all Israelis. Maybe now the the Haredim will actually have to get off their butts and get a job and not have the Israeli public pay for their 10th child. Maybe now women in Jerusalem won't be forced to the back of the bus in Haredi neighborhoods. Maybe now Israeli hotels and restaurants can be free to celebrate the New Year January 1, like the rest of the world and not be afraid of losing their kosher licenses. Maybe now we won't have so many jail cells filled with members of the Shas Party's inner circle. (at least a minyan)
Maybe if the Haredim are forced to sit on the sidelines women won't be arrested for praying at the Kotel. (G-d doesn't hear the prayers of women in Kippot- I'm just sayin!) Just maybe they will have time to look inside of themselves and reflect why the Israeli public has such disdain for them and how they represent themselves. And how their behavior of schnorring, lying and cheating has turned of thousands from the beauty of our religion. Nahhh, they really don't care. It's a good thing that I am not in the government and in charge of peace negotiations with the Palestinians because if I was, Bnei Brak, Bet Shemesh and Meah Shearim would become part of Palestine. Na na na na hey hey hey goodbye. End of Story.
For the first time two parties – Yesh Atid and Jewish Home- with opposite beliefs tied their fates together by negotiating as one and not leaving the other one behind. Finally some integrity comes to the Knesset in the likes of Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett. And that gives me hope for Israel's future.
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