Israel’s outgoing Prime Minister Yair Lapid accused the incoming government on Monday of forgetting that the country is not a “halachic state,” meaning a nation that follows strict Jewish law. This comes amid requests from the United Torah Judaism party and the far-right Religious Zionism party to legalize gender segregation, a practice deemed discriminatory.
While speaking at a meeting of his centrist Yesh Atid party, Lapid pointed to said requests and commented that “the State of Israel is a Jewish state, not a halachic state,” referring to halacha, Jewish religious law.
“Women will not be told where they are allowed and where they are not allowed to stand,” he continued. Lapid added that the parties expected to be in the incoming coalition “will not rip this country apart into those who serve in the army and those who do not, those who work and those who do not,” referencing requests from the religious parties.
Additional demands include the chareidi parties pushing for additional stipends for those learning at Jewish educational institutes. The Religious Zionism party is also moving to stop soccer matches on Shabbos.
i24NEWS spoke to Simcha Rothman from the Religious Zionism party about Lapid’s comments, with the lawmaker quipping, “I don’t know if he knows what ‘halachic state’ means.”
“He definitely doesn’t understand the term democracy,” he continued. “We need to work like they’re working in the UK, in Canada, in New Zealand. In any democratic country, you have a majority rule. What Lapid and (Defense Minister Benny) Gantz want – they lost the election – but they want to keep the stronghold they have in the justice system and other places that are not elected democratically.” -24News
Mr Lapid, what means Jewish without Halacha?
That’s like being an Anti-American American
And if you say that you’re going by Reform’s understanding of Judaism, is it at all conceivable that perhaps YOU’RE the one forcing religion on others???
And what is supposed to be keeping the state still Jewish? No one intends to interfere with what people do in their own homes , but it has to have a public tone and direction
According to Lapid &co. how would it be different from a state of 7th day Adventist? And black Hebrews? Janitors who speaks some Yiddish ?
Here is the difference: Janitors do a fine job and are essential to society, and Yiddish is a live, vibrant language that has not been suppressed by the zionist efforts.
Yair Lapinhead, Go Home! Your time has come and gone. Go out to graze with your Russian friend Lieberman the cow.
Can someone please ask Lapid what right do Jews have to the land of Israel if not because of the Torah?
He’s right. Secular Israel is NOT a “Jewish” state. In what way is it “Jewish”? The fact that they drive and eat pork on Yom kippur?! The fact that they drive to the beach on Shabbos? The fact that they made toeivah marriage the accepted law of the land? How is secular Israel Jewish?????????