[RBS] Orot Girls School - A position

[Michael Barnett]

If Extremism Wins.

In recent days, a bitter and entirely unnecessary conflict has broken out
between a small collection of extremists in Beit Shemesh and a group of
well-intentioned parents who have no interest other than to educate their
daughters in a safe and nurturing environment.  Fearing the presence of a
girls school close to their homes, villains masked as haredim have embarked
on a campaign of terror and intimidation just days before the school was
scheduled to open.

As law-abiding, tax-paying and peace-loving citizens of Beit Shemesh and
Israel we are deeply shocked and dismayed over the actions of our elected
government, and in particular, Mayor Moshe Abutbul, who is fully responsible
for allowing this situation to escalate to the dangerous proportions it has.

The Mayor has rejected the interests of the city's residents, who he was
elected to represent, in the face of what he claims are threats of violence
by a small pocket of hooligans.   It was subsequently revealed that these
claims were just another one of Abubul's falsehoods as no documentation has
ever been produced by the police regarding any real threats.

While some might believe that this is an issue which affects only us, the
parents of Beit Sefer Orot Banot, or just the residents of Beit Shemesh, if
the extremists are allowed to prevail in the supposed cause of their
perverted view of Judaism, it will signal the start of a dangerous and
deeply disturbing trend for our entire nation.

 On every level - legal, moral and practical - these extremists are armed
only with arguments that defy any form of logic or rational thinking.
Legally, we, the representatives of Beit Sefer Orot Banot were provided
every written and oral assurance that the building in question would be
allocated for the educational use of our daughters.   Morally, it is deeply
shocking  to suggest that the presence of a religious school (for modestly
dressed girls aged between 6 and 12) should be offensive to anyone.
Practically, this school is not located within a haredi neighborhood as the
Mayor and some in the media have come to suggest; but is rather situated
between two neighborhoods.  On one side is a haredi neighborhood which is
still under construction. On the the other a national religious neighborhood
which has been in place since the late 1980's and is home to several
thousand families.
Contrary to what many might believe from the reports in the national media,
the residents of Beit Shemesh live in large part in harmonious co-existence.
Bitter flare-ups of tensions like this are very much the exception and every
effort is made to ensure that we can live alongside each other with respect.
Despite our diversity, or perhaps because of it, we firmly believe that as
Jews living in the land of Israel we must respect the rights of others.
Haredi, chiloni, dati leumi, or even non-Jewish , we firmly believe that
even when others might think differently than us, assuming they are willing
to operate within the confines of the law and not impose their views upon
others, we will welcome them as neighbors and even as friends.
This understanding has contributed to the remarkable growth of our town, a
place where we were proud to raise our children and a locale that has
attracted many new families from across Israel and around the world.

Yet, we are now deeply fearful that we no longer have a partner in that
vision. We are further dismayed that  the one man who should be committed to
helping us realize it is cowardly caving to the demands of a tiny group of
dangerous ideologues who fear that anyone who is not like them represents a
threat. 

Mayor Abutbul has repeatedly stated that while he wants to resolve this
matter, he fears violence.  To that cowardice, we say that it is his job,
and that of the police, to respond to violence and squash it to the fullest
extent of the law.  We all pay taxes, support the police and  our government
because we  believe that they will protect us in times of need.  Now is such
a time of need; when villains are threatening our daughters and when
religious extremism is pushing an insane agenda opposed to everything good
for which this city and nation represents.

At this moment we are painfully forced to acknowledge that our city sits at
a crossroads.  If the law-abiding residents of this city are victorious in
this pursuit, and we are confident that we will be, then the future of Beit
Shemesh remains bright and hope-filled. However, if the Mayor is not willing
to stand up for his city and will allow it to fall into the hands of
extremists than we are deeply fearful that the hopes for this city will all
too-soon be lost.  And if Beit Shemesh is to fall to these absurdities, let
there be no doubt that all too many other cities will soon fall as well.