Haredi protest in Jerusalem (archives)
Photo: Noam Moskovich
Yaron London
Between Tahrir and Zion squares
Op-ed: There's no major difference between visions of ultra-Orthodox parties and Muslim Brotherhood

As we follow the dramatic developments in Egypt, we should ask ourselves in what ways we are similar to the Egyptians and how we differ from them. Those who object to the comparison will say: What does one thing have to do with the other? Our political tradition, they'll say, is democratic and our ancient culture excels in verbal disputes, not blandishing swords.


I disagree. I believe a cautious comparison is the main benefit from the analysis of the reasons behind the events in Egypt. There are crucial differences between us and the Egyptians, but historic processes occur when slight changes pile up like straw on a camel's back. The exhausted camel suddenly collapses. It always happens suddenly.


The threat to us lies in the relationship between theocracy and democracy. The literal meaning of theocracy is the rule of god, but the lord needs mediators – priests - who claim to know what he wants. It is forbidden to question their interpretation, so the rule of god is actually nothing more than the despotic rule of his authorized interpreters.






Here is an example of theocratic "straw" being piled gently onto the camel's back: The commanders of the haredi battalion "Netzah Yehuda" were replaced with religious commanders because the division commander wanted to prevent tension between commanders and their subordinates. Sensitivity, an excellent trait in and of itself, formed a military unit whose soldiers will be confused as to who has authority over them when it will matter most.




There are those who say that most people who vote for haredi factions are more moderate than their political representatives. This is also what is said of the Palestinian population in Gaza and the Egyptians who supported the Muslim Brotherhood. "The people," the pundits claim, did not want the results of their actions. "The people" were angry at the corrupt regime. "The people" merely wanted to live in peace and have enough bread. "The people" are not ideological. Perhaps, but this explanation has little value, because once the ballot is cast it cannot be pulled out from the ballot box.









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