Social justice, religious freedom and the tent protests

[rug]

Protest leaders did their utmost to stick to economic demands.


Israelis gather in central Jerusalem, September 3, 2011, to protest against the rising housing prices and social inequalities in the Jewish state. More than 400,000 Israelis demonstrated in major Israeli cities calling for economic reforms. UPI/Debbie Hill

By RABBI URI REGEV
10/22/2011 21:23

"We want social justice!” protesters roared this summer. Tents lined the streets, demanding a fairer economy, support of the working class, housing solutions and more. The tents have mostly gone, and the Trajtenberg Committee, appointed to give recommendations to the government in response to the public protest, has released its report.

Protest leaders did their utmost to stay within the scope of economic demands. They avoided addressing the inevitable societal conflicts that might have been brought out in order to provide the necessary solutions.

They also didn’t speak about the larger questions of social justice.

In the face of the expected vehement political resistance, there should be great interest in Hiddush’s recently released 2011 Israel Religion and State Index. It reveals both additional dimensions of social justice that are lacking in the country today, and provides compelling backing for some of the Trajtenberg Committee’s recommendations.

It also demonstrates how far government policies are from the will of the public.

http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-EdContributors/Article.aspx?id=242755

The writer is the head of Hiddush – Freedom of Religion for Israel. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiddush