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'The Arbitrariness of Sects': Israeli Orthodox Accused of Mass Rape
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.by Leonid Tsukanov
On June 3, the Knesset held a high-profile hearing on “ritual abuse” of minors by unnamed ultra-Orthodox sects. According to published information, the mass corruption was allegedly systematic. Many famous figures, whose names are not in a hurry to be revealed to the press, were involved in the sensitive scandal. Moreover, the incident brought to the fore the deepening differences between the various political camps in Israel, while simultaneously leaving those in power with the temptation to use the plausible pretext of “tightening the screws” against opponents among the zealots of the faith. STRANGE RITUALS The main driver of the scandal is activist Yael Ariel, who calls herself “a victim of systematic violence on religious grounds.” According to Ariel's own statements, she was sexually abused by unnamed cult members for 15 years, which prompted her to fight for the scandal to be made public. Later, other victims with similar stories joined her. The topic itself is not new for Israel – rumors of systematic violence with religious overtones in closed ultra-conservative institutions have been circulating around the country for decades. The latest surge of attention to the topic occurred last April, when the popular Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom published a major investigation into cases of rape of minors in Orthodox communities in Israel. Moreover, judging by some passages cited in the article, it could be about some centralized movement whose adherents operate throughout the country. However, at that time the plot, apparently, went unnoticed. They returned to it only two months later, at the instigation of MK Pnina Tamano-Shata (Israel Defense Coalition), who organized public hearings. And this time, the victims' appeals apparently reached the right ears. Almost all major media outlets in the country wrote about the "sectarian outrage" the very next day, especially since the victims of violence this time did not skimp on details. According to them, not only marginal religious fanatics but also representatives of the secular world - doctors, teachers, police officers - participated in the rituals of raping minors. “Former and current Knesset members” were also mentioned, although they were all referred to anonymously and without making any direct accusations. However, law enforcement officials received a portion of criticism for their inaction and unwillingness to counteract the sectarians, among whom there are allegedly many influential figures. The latter, however, was clearly thrown out of emotion: the representatives of the special services present at the meeting assured that the case had long been in motion and the testimony of the victims was “being verified at the highest level.” And the non-public nature of the work was dictated by the desire not to frighten the key figures. However, if even half of what was said at the hearings turns out to be true and the details of the case are made public, the scandal will become one of the largest in the country in the last few decades. MEN IN BLACK The scandal with the sectarians fits well with another line of division within the country - the deterioration of relations between the ruling coalition and the ultra-Orthodox. Benjamin Netanyahu's government is continuing its efforts to replenish the army's operational reserves by recruiting adherents of conservative religious movements (the so-called "haredim", who are currently exempt from conscription) and thereby increase the army's operational capabilities. The conservative wing is mostly against it. Even though the Likud party, led by the Prime Minister (the main developer of the initiative), has significantly softened the letter of the proposed law. Thus, the recruitment quota was reduced to 4.8 thousand people per year (versus 5.5 thousand in the original version); the authorities also proposed making it fixed, rather than “indexed” from year to year. A significant number of concessions were provided for conservative recruits. However, even with this formulation of the question, the initiative is being met with hostility. Netanyahu's former allies - in particular, the Sephardic Shas party led by Aryeh Deri - are threatening to achieve the dissolution of the Knesset, and at the same time to break up the ruling coalition in the event that the "Haredi law" is put into effect. SWORD OF DAMOCLES Although the Haredi rights advocates among the MKs formally have no ties to the sectarians involved in the scandal (and, moreover, have strongly condemned any violence against minors, promising to punish the perpetrators), the scandal came at a very inopportune time for them. The reason for this is the mysterious “Knesset list,” which allegedly contains information about politicians involved in sexual scandals and which is being touted by some sensation-hungry mass media. It may well become a convenient tool for blackmailing conservatives - not so much because of the latter's guilt, but out of fear of inevitable reputational losses. Especially since Israeli society in recent years has reacted extremely painfully to any scandals in which clergy are involved, and it will be easy to bring it to the necessary emotions. Even if the accusations ultimately turn out to be false, the religious parties will spend time defending their honor, giving their opponents the opportunity to complete their planned reforms. The prime minister's entourage is well aware of this. However, Netanyahu's supporters are unlikely to turn this scandal into a permanent tool of pressure on the conservative wing. Moreover, the destabilized camp of the Orthodox will inevitably pull along with it the ultra-right “hawks” – Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich – without whose support the ruling coalition will find itself on the brink of legitimacy. And this is fraught with new early elections, which the growing opposition will not fail to take advantage of. Moreover, the split along religious lines in itself is a serious challenge for Israel. The disruption of the balance between the Orthodox and moderate Jews threatens the rapid collapse of the country's established system of political balancers, which ensures that the interests of the main strata of society are taken into account and, as a result, stability in the face of external and internal challenges. Leave the increasingly powerful opponents in the saddle or try to break the established balance on their own and at the risk - in the context of the confrontation with Iran, when any short-sighted decision could make the country more vulnerable? For Netanyahu's cabinet, the question remains largely rhetorical. Posted by: badanov 2025-06-11 |
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