All Israeli Jews are not butchers of Palestinian children and their mothers ....

thank God for small mercies. How come the Ultra-Orthodox can live in peace with their Muslim neighbours  but the devilish looking Netanyahu and his gang and supporters cannot? 

Daniel Tepper writing at VICE:
 ULTRA-ORTHODOX JEWS ARE REFUSING TO JOIN THE ISRAELI ARMY  

Hundreds of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews (Haredim) crowded into the center of Jerusalem on Sunday to protest against mandatory armed service. As things stand, they are exempt from being drafted into the military so that they can carry out their orthodox lifestyle, but a proposed bill could change that, and the Haredim are not happy.

They turned Jerusalem into a sea of black hats, white shirts, and long beards, but there were no fiery speeches and no chanting. Instead, the Haredim came in massive numbers to pray. The men carried out the Amidah, a standing prayer that’s recited silently. They were observing Mincha, the afternoon prayer service. Bodies of all sizes swayed back and forth while their lips moved without noise. Haredi leaders had called on all males over nine to attend the protest. Even women were asked to join, though they stood apart from the men, in segregated groups along the periphery of the crowd. Around 500,000 were expected to show up. Local media later reported that the real number was between 250,000 and 400,000. Either way, it was the biggest crowd I’ve ever stood in, but it was eerily quiet.



Until last year, the ultra-Orthodox had been exempt from serving in the Israeli military since the creation of the state, in 1949. While the army has the authority to conscript any citizen or permanent resident once he or she hits 18, teenage Haredim are able to avoid conscription by studying religious texts in institutions called yeshivas. The Haredim feel that this study is a contribution to Judaism that is equal to—if not greater than—serving in the Israeli army. They see compulsory military service as a form of religious persecution, denying them the right to practice and pulling them toward a more secular lifestyle.

The demonstration was an impressive display of the sheer numbers that the ultra-Orthodox can muster when they need to. The major roads leading into the city were blocked off. The main bus station and the light-rail system were shut down. Thousands of police were stationed in the area to prevent any of the violence that has recently erupted at ultra-Orthodox protests. But on Sunday, the cops were conspicuously absent from the throng, choosing to hang back.

Flyers with protest slogans littered the streets, and young boys held up signs that declared in English and Hebrew, “The Israeli Government harshly persecutes and tramples observant Jews!” and “You created the problem by establishing the State of Israel. Don’t ask us to fix it by joining the IDF!” This second statement is evidence of a strong anti-Zionist sentiment held by some sections of the Haredi population, most notably Hasidic Jews.

Hasidic Jews believe in a form of ultra-Orthodox Judaism that originated in 18th century Europe. They are easy to spot by their traditional dress and payot (long, curly sidelocks). Early Zionism was actually opposed by Hasidic Jews because of what they see as Zionism's tendency to champion secularism, and the belief that Jews made a promise with God not to establish a state in Israel using force. So obviously they’re not all that happy with how things have gone since Israel’s formation.

One of the largest anti-Zionist sects, the Satmar, has large communities in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and Stamford Hill, London. The Satmar are so thoroughly opposed to the Israeli state that they accept no monetary aid from the government. One of their religious leaders recently declared a “jihad against the Israeli government.”

I met Yakov, a 20-year-old Hasidic Satmar from the UK, before the protest began. He told me that “it’s better to convert to Islam than join the army.” He explained, “At least then you’re still monotheistic. In the army, you’re worshipping the state.” Yakov is against any interference in what he calls a "pure" way of life. For him, being Hasidic means living a life full of prayer. He says that he has a closer connection to God by abiding to strict rules and daily rituals that fill his life with deep satisfaction and meaning..........