Hillary Clinton Says Chareidi Customs Threaten Israeli Democracy, “Reminds Her of Iran”

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chareidi-boys-bochurimSeveral Israeli government ministers on Sunday sharply responded to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over her critical comments on the status of women in Israel and Knesset bills that would restrict left-wing organizations.

Speaking to a closed forum in Washington on Saturday, Clinton criticized recent legislative attempts in Israel to restrict left-wing organizations and expressed shock over growing discrimination against Israeli women. She mentioned cases of IDF soldiers leaving during performances of female singers and the fact that females sit in the back of buses in certain places in Israel. Clinton said that some of these phenomena reminded her of Iran.

Clinton voiced deep concern over what she called the growing exclusion of women from Israel’s public life.

Referring to the decision of some IDF soldiers to leave an event where female soldiers were singing, she said it reminded her of the situation in Iran.

Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz said Clinton’s comments were “completely exaggerated”.

“Israeli democracy is alive, liberal and breathing,” Steinitz said at the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday. “I don’t know many better democracies in the world. It is of course necessary to fix things sometimes. The matter of excluding and segregating women is completely unacceptable and needs to be put to a stop, but there is a great distance between this and the argument that there is a threat to Israeli democracy.”

Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan said that elected officials should concentrate on what is happening in their own countries. He added, however, that he shared the concern over the dignity of women. He said that the government should take steps to demonstrate its commitment to equality between men and women.

Interior Minister Eli Yishai said that the Knesset passes laws after thorough checks.

“Israel is the only democratic country in the Middle East,” Yishai said. “I assume that everything done here will be done within the law and I am not concerned by that.”

{Haaretz/Matzav.com Newscenter}


21 COMMENTS

  1. Perhaps the headline is misleading.
    these aren’t Charedi “CUSTOMS” but rather new chumros that even their grandparents would not recognize as mainstream Judaism. Everyone knows the story about the Chofetz Chaim and shatnez in his train seat but for some reason we never hear the story about the time that he stood up the entire train ride so as not to sit near a woman.

  2. Actually, the difference between Israel’s “segregation” of women and Iran’s is that in Israel it is because it’s a democracy that women are allowed to choose to stay out of public life or soldiers are allowed to choose to leave a woman’s concert etc… in a democracy, people have the right to observe their religion and have the right to choose to segregate themselves.

  3. This is the problem when you want to show yourself to the world as a free state. The truth must be explained that we are AM Hanivchor and we cannot compare to all the other nations. Our Tznius cannot be compromised. It would be helpful if someone capable from the Chareidi representatives contacts Clinton and explain the beauty of Tznius of Klall Yisroes as compared to the utter cluelty of discrimination of Iran and the Islam culture.

  4. SHE HAS NO BUSINESS WITH THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF ISRAEL
    BH DEMOCRACY IS ALIVE AND WELL IN EY CONTRARY TO MANY COUNTRIES OR MOST AROUND THE GLOBE
    SEEMS SHE IS BORED WITH HER TIME

  5. She and her husband’s “faithful” relationship help explain what’s really bothering them!

    P.S. (Also, her concern over “human rights” [as she so nobly terms it] – vanishes into thin air as soon as the name “Jonathan Pollard” is ever mentioned.)

  6. Dear Mrs. Clinton

    If my memory serves me right. I think you had a slight problem with your husband while he was in the White House specificly in the oval office.
    In Judaisim we have laws about seperating genders just for that reason.
    Maybe you should ask your esteemed ‘Aideem’ the halochos of Yichud and he can learn B’chavrusah with his Shver, Bill

  7. as anyone like myself who has lived in israel knows: israel is not a democracy by any stretch! it is a court ruled oligarchy with a state run media and police force that is bigotted against charedim and sefardim.

  8. Mrs. Clinton:
    For some reason, you had no problem meeting with Orthodox Jews and rabbis for political support and you spoke from behind a mechitzah!

  9. Foolish Hillary! Don’t you understand the difference between Racism (e.g. skin color) and modesty?!? Israeli’s (orthodox or secular) never treat women as inferior and we are NOT discriminating against women. This is strictly a religous issue whereby men want to avoid contact with women who are strangers to themselves for the purpose of bringing holiness into their lives. Most women can understand and accept this idea. It’s more of a question as to how to implement this separation without being accused as segregating.

  10. Would be great if Bill Clinton would offer a forum in Israel on the topic of respecting women – starting with wedding vows made to one wife and commitment to ones own wife.

    In Iran if they don’t want women singing they simply warn them not to do it and then kill them if they do. The Israeli soldiers never said that women can’t sing nor did they attempt to impose anything on women or to threaten them. They talked only about themselves- they wished to distance themselves away from hearing female single lest it arouse in them a temptation of Bill-Clinton-like adulterous behavior. Shame on Hillary who has been around NYC enough, knows the deal and the complete distinction between Orthodox Jewish behavior and that of the radical Iranians.

  11. Wait a minute! You’re not trying to say that Hillary hates Jews & she was able to cover it up for a while?! You stupid dummies will still bow down to her highness when she runs for an “elected” office again!

  12. Rabosai,

    If the Clintons criticize us, THAT’S GOOD NEWS. Isn’t this same Hillary who kissed Arafat’s wife? We should worry only when they start praising us. How would you feel if Bill Clinton winked at you? Wouldn’t you throw up?

  13. #10, how are you Sushi? You are davka overcooked and are exaggerating tremendously.

    Interestingly, the Left and Arabs complain that the police violate their rights and that the Chreidim have taken over and some figures have complained that the government ignores court decisions. As in all such cases the truth is somewhere in the middle.

  14. They failed to tell her that the segregation done in Israel of women on buses is NOT FORCED as apose to iran where it is FORCED. Women can choose how they wish to live for the better or worse.

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