Nearly identical anti-haredi soldier cartoons have been distributed in the Jerusalem haredi neighborhood of Mea Shearim over the past two years. Haredi soldiers have been assaulted by haredi mobs there and in other locations throughout the country, as well.
Offensive Anti-Haredi-IDF-Soldier Cartoon Resurfaces
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
Residents of the Shlomo neighborhood of Hadera woke up today to find an offensive cartoon flyer against the IDF and the haredi draft in their mailboxes, Arutz Sheva reported.
Under the cartoon haredi soldier pig pictured above, the poster reportedly contained the following riddle:
"I was swept away on a life of idleness, I was on the iron bars in the neighborhood, I drowned in the putrid scum, they sent me to confused yeshiva students to dry up their souls, I trick them with slogans from the Gemara [i.e., the Talmud], but in actuality I'm something completely different; what am I?"
The answer provided on the flyer is, "the hardak [haredi slang for haredi IDF soldier; haredi cockroach] from the [IDF] enlistment office."
A local haredi yeshiva head denied his students or institution were behind the flyer, which he labelled "illogical." But he went on to blame ex-Finance Minister Yair Lapid and the government for destroying the respect between haredim and secular Jews in Israel.
"In any case I'm sorry that Yair Lapid succeeded in bringing such an escalation between secular Jews and haredim. If there was communication and respect up till now, at present there is escalation and extremism," the haredi rosh yeshiva said.
The only sector of Israel's Jewish population which en masse refuses to serve in the IDF is the haredim. But not only do they refuse to be drafted, they also refuse to serve in Israel's civilian nation service, which is like an internal peace corps, or do any other form of national service. Instead, the study in yeshivas full time well into middle age and even beyond, relying on government subsidies, welfare payments and charity to survive.
Nearly identical anti-haredi soldier cartoons have been distributed in the Jerusalem haredi neighborhood of Mea Shearim over the past two years. Haredi soldiers have been assaulted by haredi mobs there and in other locations throughout the country, as well.
