The War Within

by Yuval Elizur

For many Israelis, it is the internecine conflict with the ultra-orthodox Haredim that impacts their lives the most. The majority of Haredim -- raised with an intense focus on religion at the expense of all else -- are unemployable in a modern economy. Many choose to pursue religious studies, which the government subsidizes up to the age of 40. The first book on a conflict that is fast crystallizing into a national debate, The War Within is a lively and trenchant exploration of a battle between church and state as it plays out before our eyes in Israel today. As acclaimed journalists Yuval Elizur and Lawrence Malkin expose, the situation today has reached a critical point that threatens the state of Israel from within and must certainly affect its future.

Genres: History, Middle East, Israel, Politics, Religion

224 pages, Hardcover

First published March 7, 2013

Reviews

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up at an annual book fair held by my local Jewish center. Interestingly, it was the only book on this topic that I could find. While that fact may be a coincidence, I think it speaks to the lack of awareness most people (outside of Israel) have of that modern state’s complex social stratum. This book does an excellent job of illuminating the hot-spot issues of military conscription, education and women’s rights as they exist within the framework of secular and religious tension. You will have a much better appreciation of these issues when you’re finished reading. I felt the authors, while secularly biased, wrote respectfully of the religious and recognize that there is no solution to societal ills without their active participation. For those of you wondering if you’ll need a little background on Israeli society before you read this, don’t worry. The authors do a great job of explaining it all. They leave no Hebrew word undefined throughout the course of the book. I highly recommend it.

[Jayde Schwerin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful; an interesting read.

[Shai · Rating 2 out of 5]

Three significant mistakes suggest that the authors are not insiders of a community that is certainly out of step with modernity and imo with Jewish culture.
Page 173: a picture of Rav Shach is captioned as Rav Elyashiv.
Page 198: claims that the Chabad HQ is 777 Eastern Parkway when it is famously 770.
204: In a story about an unusual Rabbi, they leave out the name of the Rabbi, famously Shlomo Zalman Aurbach, who's son, Shmuel Aurbach could very well have been the subject of the book. The Rabbi was not unusual but considered by many to be a Gadol HaDor of his generation, and thus representative of a significant amount of the population, not "unusual".

On the content of the book, these problems appear frequently in both their characterization of the Haredi world, of the State of Israel and of democracy.

The book often conflates western democracy with democracy, a typical err of the west. I.e. the Haredim have used their political power to limit over reach of western norms of egalitarianism to impose structures that are inauthentic to Semitic society. (Women judges on the religious court, for example)

Beyond this, the book assumes the definitions of a state for the Jews and a Jewish state. The former, a western output of democracy that Jews and others can live, whereas a Jewish state is incorrectly defined as a theocracy based on Haredi guidelines. The state of Israel should define their mission statement in a way that clearly defined what a Jewish state means and hopefully in a way that Palestinians, secular Jews and Haredim see themselves in that mission.

The book also makes the case for a constitution and the failure of the Zionists to write one speaks to the failure of the Zionists to determine the next stage of Jewish history with the vehicle of the state of Israel.

Lastly, the book is not sensitive towards Palestinian aspirations and towards the end suggests that a two state solution is the only way to get rid of a hostile neighbor.

[Roger · Rating 2 out of 5]

Challenging book to comment on.

On the one hand it does an admirable job of laying out the conflicts between competing visions of Judaism and Israel, secular vs religious, democratic vs. theistic, the role of women in society. Even here it often devolves into esoterica and repetitiveness that is frustrating to keep straight.

Perhaps the most distressing aspect of the book is the utter lack of concern for by far the most critical aspect of life in Israel, how to address the question of Palestine. How a 200+ page text can spend so little time analyzing the impact of that fundamental, existential issue is difficult to understand. Even if one grants the point that the book is focussed on differences within the Jewish communities in Israel, it is nonetheless true the these differences are, if not driven by divergent points of view re the Palestinian question, at least further illuminated by the answers to that question

[Alex Nagler · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well written historical and modern study of the political rise to power of Israel's Ultra Orthodox and the stranglehold they have on all society in that country. A recommended read for anyone interested in Middle Eastern geopolitics, as it shines a light on one aspect of the conflict that doesn't receive as much historical examination as everyone else in the region.

(and I thought Borough Park Orthodox were bad...)

[Erin O. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting. Recommended for anyone interested in religion, orthodoxy, or Israel.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a church/state review of religious life in Israel. There are some interesting facts in this book, but I felt the book was too unfocused and rambling.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting.