The religious war: Time for the culpable media to step up
05/22/2012 16:59
By RAFI KARP
The most critical issue Israel faces is the conflict between Orthodox and secular societies.
Second only to the security threats that Israel faces daily, the most important issue confronting Israeli society right this minute is the ongoing conflict and irreconcilability between the Orthodox and secular populations. The unity of the Jewish People is completely dependent on the resolution of this issue. Failure in finding a compromise could lead to some of the gravest consequences imaginable. No one wants a civil war, but that just might be what we get.
This issue is more important to Israel’s future than the agenda of the social movement, it is more pressing than the management of the dangers posed to Israel by the world economic crisis, and it is unquestionably a more pertinent discussion than whether or not Vice Premier Shaul Mofaz and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu should have teamed up. The evolution of Israeli society is utterly stifled due to the inability to resolve the conflicting needs and wants of the orthodox and secular communities.
The media should therefore be treating this issue with the utmost sensitivity. Unfortunately, it instead chooses to incite the ire of both sides of the conflict, fanning the flames of hatred across Israeli society. An unfortunate example of this can be seen through the publication of two opinion pieces that appeared recently in Yediot Ahronot. A responsible media would have ensured neither article saw the light of day – each for a different reason.
http://www.jpost.com/Magazine/Opinion/Article.aspx?id=271005
