Anti - haredi provocation in Kiryat Yovel and Kiryat Menachem

B"H

Honestly, I am always upset when haredi news sites leave out information. The Hebrew site "Kikar Shabbat" is reporting about another provocation against the haredi public of Jerusalem’s neighbourhoods Kiryat Yovel and Kiryat Menachem but leaves out the main information: A photo showing what is the new argument about. 

One can argue that the photo is not modest at all and that such picture material shouldn’t be spread in public. However, many readers (including myself) would have liked to see what is going on. If you don’t find anything on haredi sites, go to Israel’s secular news sites and on YNET you find everything. 

Last Shabbat, the religious population of Kiryat Yovel and the nearby neighbourhood Kiryat Menachem was shocked seeing that obviously secular Jews hung up immodest posters showing half naked women. For the past years, more and more Haredim have been moving into the Kiryat Yovel due to the formerly affordable rent. The same happening in the nearby neighbourhood Kiryat Menachem. The result is that the secular population feels threatened. A similar development we see in Jerusalem’s neighbourhood of Givat Mordechai. No one knows who hung up those posters last Erev Shabbat but even a high percentage of secular locals is speaking up against such pictures and actions. 

The immodest picture

Source: YNET

I don't really understand the logic of the people hanging up the posters. Is it just to provoke the frum population ? And if so, the picture won't help anything. 

MK Israel Eichler expelled from Knesset

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Knesset member, Rabbi Israel Eichler (Chassidut Belz), was expelled from the Knesset this afternoon, when he called leftist Zipi Livni (head of the Kadima party) an ENEMY (to Haredim). As a matter of fact, Zipi Livni has been trying to make propaganda against haredi society. Her party is in danger to disappear after the next Knesset elections, as her competitor, Haredim hater and journalist Ya'ir Lapid, is founding his own party and is said to take away most Kadima voters. Zipi Livni learnt from Lapid how to attract secular voters of Israel's population and thus trying to save herself from unemployment.

Jerusalem - Opposition leader Tzipi Livni blasted Housing and Construction Minister Ariel Atias for refusing to give priority affordable housing to households where both partners work. "The housing minister's decision is an insult to those who went out to the streets (to protest)," she said, adding that the measure makes the benefit only accessible to the haredi sector. MK Yisrael Eichler (United Torah Judaism) responded by calling Livni "our enemy," prompting Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin to expel him from the session.

Ethiopians attacked Chassid in Ashdod

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ARUTZ 7 has published a video showing an interview with a Chassid who got attacked by Ethiopians last Friday night. The Chassid, as far as I see, a Gerrer (Gur) Chassid, was walking down a street in the Israeli town of Ashdod and passing a group of Ethiopians hanging around. One of the Ethiopians asked the Chassid what he has to say about the media reports on Haredim. The Chassid didn't want to get into an argument and just answered "Shabbat Shalom". Further he said that he loves all Jews and that he is not a racist. One of the Ethiopians didn't like the response and hit the Chassid into the face. The Chassid who wore glasses was badly injured and the broken glass entered his eye. Later on, he was taken to hospital.

Thanks to Israel's secular press and its hate propaganda against Haredim.

You can also watch the video on KIKAR SHABBAT ! In Hebrew only !

Secular Jews attacking haredi children

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Every leftist is screaming against Haredim attacking women and children but hardly anyone is mentioning violent incidents taking place against the haredi population carried out by secular Jews:

http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=2488

What the secular witch - hunt is causing

"Mavet LeHaredim – Death to the Haredim" – Graffiti in the Israeli town of Ashdod. 

Source: Kikar Shabbat

Tonight in Mea Shearim ...

Mass demonstration against the ongoing secular media propaganda towards haredi society

I don't see it as appropriate letting children participate in the demonstration. And especially not in the form of victims with stars from the Third Reich !

More Photos HERE !

Why is the Israeli press running wild against Haredim ?

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I have been asking myself these days, why Israel's secular and mainly left - wing press is running so much propaganda against haredi society. Iran's atomic bombs, Palestinian terror, poverty in Israel, unemployment ... hardly any word about those topics in the news but only Haredim. Israeli society sees its freedom in danger when a few Sikarikim in Beit Shemesh freak around. 

Who is behind those media stories and who may gain an advantage from a self - made war against Orthodox Judaism ?

Sultan Knish has an amazing answer:

http://sultanknish.blogspot.com/2011/12/soros-latest-israel-project.html

President Shimon Peres against anti - haredi Propaganda

President Shimon Peres with a journalist of the haredi news site "Kikar Shabbat".

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Even Israel's President Shimon Peres seems to have enough of our media constantly picking on the entire haredi society. 

The majority of Haredim doesn't share such fanatic points of view and would not insist on a gender separation on buses or sidewalks. Those fanatics (Sikarikim) are a small minority and because it is them causing trouble, the entire haredi society is being doomed.

Those causing the most damage due to their anti - haredi hatred reports are the newspaper “Yediot Acharonot” and the TV channel “Arutz 2”. 

I am just asking myself why YEDIOT is now spreading its wild propaganda. First, Tanya Rosenblit is seen as a new feminist "Meshiach" and afterwards, the left - wing media re - discovered the subject "Beit Shemesh".

Modesty War in Beit Shemesh

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A few days ago, the 8 – year – old national religious girl Na’ama Margolis was attacked by Haredim who started yelling at her. The girl’s behaviour and clothing weren’t too appropriate. Since, the national religious movement as well as the secular press have been running wild. It seems to become a fashion accusing the entire haredi society and the national religious like using the opportunity of pointing out how "great" they are. Finally they can feel so liberal and understanding compared to all those "fanatic" Haredim. 

I am not yet going deeper into the subject and will do so in a separate article later on at night. 

Na'ama Margolis

Photo: Kikar Shabbat

In the meantime some further news: The Beit Shemesh Municipality, Mayor Moshe Abutbul together with the police decided putting up some 400 security cameras in the streets. Also around the national religious girls’s school “Orot Banot” where Na’ama Margolis studies. 

Yesterday, the Municipality decided to take down any signs in public streets saying that men and women should not gather together. The following night, various Haredim again hung up those signs. The haredi part of the town is going wild, as more and more Israeli TV stations keep on streaming in taking pictures of Haredim. However, the Haredim of Beit Shemesh claim that it is only a few nutties from the Sikariki group causing trouble. 

Here are some photos from a Toldot Avraham Yitzchak Beit Midrash and a modesty sign right in its front asking women to use the other side of the road. 

Women are being asked not to gather at this place.

Beit Midrash of Chassidut Toldot Avraham Yitzchak in Beit Shemesh

The modesty sign in front of the Beit Midrash.

Actually I was surprised and keep on asking myself whether the sign was set up by the chassidic group itself or by the Sikarikim.

See all photos HERE !

Youtube: Seeds of Hate

Germans favouring Israeli gay Singer but ignore Judaism

Gay Teddy bears

Photo: Picasa

B"H

The Israeli Embassy located in Germany is one of my friends on Facebook and what they usually do is publishing important news from Israel. Yesterday the embassy spread the news that Israel's famous gay pop singer Ivri Lider is winning an international award.

The Germans got really excited about the message on Facebook, as some philosemites love anything coming from Israel. You can be a piece of garbage but as soon as you tell these philosemites that your are from Israel, they embrace you wildly. No matter how bad you smell.:-)))

However, I criticised the Facebook message spread by the Israeli Embassy in Berlin by saying that Israel shouldn't be proud of a gay singer, as there are more important and especially normal people to be proud of.

I foresaw the reaction of the German philosemites and, of course, found lots of criticism. I am only referring to Germans here because I don't know about other countries:
Those Germans who are not pro - Palestinian identify with Israel. For several reasons but, however, there are those who are really sticking to Israel and anything Jewish like glue. Not in order to missionize Jews but to just admire them due to a psycho - like Holocaust guilt feeling.

Two Facebook reactions did surprise me:
A woman, I don't know if Jewish or not but living in Germany wrote that when I criticise gay Ivri Lider, I cannot be from Tel Aviv.

I find this statement rather stupid, as not every Tel Aviv inhabitants is naturally so terribly tolerant to embrace the gays. In fact many people from Tel Aviv don't agree with the unlimited freedom in their city at all. And, I did live in Tel Aviv.

Another comment came from a gay guy from Norway. Not Jewish and ignoring the Jewish religion totally. The worst was that he, as a homosexual, compared my anti - gay opinion to the Nazis killing gays. Actually he claimed that Jews should be more tolerant because they were killed in the camps and so were the gays.

The Norwegian comment is one of the worst statements I have had in my life. A comparison between gay "suffering" and the Jewish Holocaust. This is just outrageous but shows us how wide parts of the Gentile world ignores Judaism and those Jews sticking to it. Germans love the Jews to shut up and assimilate. Jews involved in culture and some Martin Buber but no real frum Jews. No Chabad and no Haredim at all but only assimilation.

Who spread the rumour of the riots in Zfat ?

The old city of Safed (Zfat).

Photo: Miriam Woelke

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Just recently I wrote about the "riots" between Haredim and Arab youth in Safed (Zfat) / northern Israel. Some Israeli news sites had mentioned some violent clashes between Arabs and Haredim (one site wrote "Chabad").

I have arrived in Safed today in order to enjoy my two or three days vacation and just relax and maybe do something spiritual. However, I asked some Haredim about the clashes and all of them told me that there was nothing going on. One Chabadnik told me that obviously someone has an interest by spreading rumours and favouring the Arabs.

The Chief Rabbi of Safed, Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, made a decree that it is forbidden to rent out apartment to Arab students studying at an academic institute in the Old City of Safed. I was also told that the municipalty told the inhabintans of a city owned apartment block to leave and what happened was that Arab students moved in instead. No wonder that some haredi inhabitants of Safed see a whole conspiracy of the local municipality coming up by rejecting the Haredim but favouring Arab students from the villages around.

As soon as there are more news, I am going to write about the subject again !

Israel's secular press at war against Haredim

Photo: Chadrei HaCharedim

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Once again, Israel's secular press expresses its hatred against haredi society. The two biggest secular newspapers, YEDIOT ACHARONOT as well as MAARIV publish facts and stories against Haredim. The usual stereotype subjects: Haredim don't go to the army, they are lazy and don't work and secular students get less benefit than haredi Kollel students (relig. institution for married men).

Israeli haredi websites see their secular counterparts as a further attempt for spreading hatred against Haredim. Why always the Haredim ? Because they don't write wild comments to the secular media ? Because they keep quiet ?

In a way it is disgusting how our secular press works: They are so much in favour of foreign workers and their children. Gentile children have a right to stay in Israel. Even more than the Haredim because those children from Philippina and African workers would go to the army afterwards. Haredi kids don't.

Such comparisons make me sick and I start asking myself why those journalists don't move abroad. If they prefer a Gentile society so go to wherever you are happier and eat your pork.

The same with regarding the Middle East conflict. If you don't like Israel and don't want to buy products made in the settlements, so go and immigrate to Gaza. The Hamas will be extremely "happy" seeing all this Jewish Israeli journalists streaming in.

Our government including Jerusalem's Mayor Nir Barkat are doing their best to turn Israel into an assimilated country. No further Jewish concepts but democracy and tolerance. We have to be like everyone else and those who are bothering have to vanish.

I think that more Haredim should go to the army. And yes, haredi society doesn't have the best school education and it needs to be improved. And yes, more Haredim should go and work because not too many are such Talmidim Chachamim. In fact, many Haredim are bored in Yeshiva but continue due to society pressure. More Haredim have to get educated and there already has been a rise in enrollments for haredi academic institutions. More and more Haredim want to get educated, own a computer and try to learn English and science.

However, the hate our secular press is trying to cause is almost on the same primitive level as "Der Stuermer" (anti - Semitic magazine from the Nazi Julius Streicher during the Third Reich). Only negative stories are being presented and nothing positive about society. Secular university students work in order to finance their studies, go on reserve duty and raise their children in case they are a parent. Haredi married students just behave like parasites although many of them have joined the job market.

Why always the haredi issue ? Why are there no further reports on how many illegal Africans are streaming into our country on a daily basis ? And why is there no further report an the increase of poverty ? It really looks like that there is an interest in getting rid of religion. Now it is the Haredim and, later on, the national religious.

Further Details:

YNET

Abu Gosh

Abu Gosh - An Arab village near Jerusalem.

When all Arabs were as peaceful as the Arab inhabitants of Abu Gosh, we would have a great peace in the Middle East. The people of Abu Gosh don't run and complain to the world but work and live their ordinary lives.  

For those readers who don't care about keeping kosher: The village is famous for its Humus.

Photo: Miriam Woelke

Protesting against Secular Hatred

This guy is protesting against Israelis hating Haredim outside the US embassy in Tel Aviv. Yoav

Shabbat Shalom

Agrippas Street / Jerusalem at the Machane Yehudah Markt

B"H

The Baal Shem Tov sees in the laws of the Parah Adumah (Red Hefer) a hint for the eternity of our Mitzvot. Furthermore we should practice them with Chochmah (wisdom) and Kavanah (concentration, intention).

Rav, in Talmud Tractate Menachot 19a, says: "Wherever it is stated in Scripture TORAH and CHUKAT (literally: law and decree), it comes only to make the relevant essential".

The Gemara opens the discussion by stating its tentative understanding of Rav's statement. It will then challenge this understanding by posing a series of questions:

It would enter your mind to think that both TORAH and CHUKAT are required for essentialness. As it is written: This is the law (Chukat) of the Torah.

Commentary:

The Book of Numbers (BaMidbar) 19:2:

The above phrase appears with regard to the law of the PARAH ADUMAH, the Red Cow. According to Rav, it teaches that every detail of the PARAH ADUMAH rite is essential to its validity. The Gemara suggests that Rav states both terms - Chukah and Torah - because both are required for essentiality.

I will list further explanations and commentaries on the RED COW in the coming week !

The bottom line is always that the Torah laws were given for eternity. G - d stands above everything and created the entire universe including ourselves with a special purpose we don't actually know.

I don't want to go into detail how Jews desecrate the will of G - d today. Free will, no free will, sometimes everything just seems to insane.

100,000 Haredim were demonstrating against the decision of Israel's Supreme Court (concerning the Emmanuel Beit Yaakov) and trying to prevent worldy interference into the religious world. Today's daily MAARIV dedicates NINE pages to the affair and even quotes Yoav Lalom who suddenly claims that he didn't intent to get everything out of control when he sued the Ashkenazim in Emmanuel. It wasn't his but the Supreme Courts fault. Not an easy life for Lalom who is probably banned from almost every Synagogue in the entire country. Even the national religious go wild, as they fear to be the next Supreme Court victim.

One reader claim in a recent comment that Baalei Teshuva should be embraced and not separated from a Beit Yaakov community. This is true but, as a matter of fact, you cannot put kids into a Beit Yaakov where everyone was born into haredi society and your child (as a Baal Teshuva) has no clue about haredi education. Today you are making Teshuva and tomorrow your girls are on Beit Yaakov ? It doesn't fit. No matter if Sephardi or Ashkenazi.

Furthermore, your kids have to be willing to accept the Mitzvot and not smoking a cigarette around the corner on Shabbat, as it obviously happened in Emmanuel. However, not only Ashkenazi parents were put into jail yesterday but also some Separdi families from Emmanuel.

Torah law is eternal ! This sounds frightening to some Jews and many see a whole bunch of laws right in front of them. Laws they don't really want to keep. Not yet !

If secular or religious, every Jew should show his respect before the Torah and certain honest Rabbis and not trying to take over and suddenly praise a new G - d called the Supreme Court. A Supreme Court which just opened a highway for Palestinians where further attacks on Jews are expected.

There is no doubt that there are huge society differences within the Israeli Sephardi and Ashkenazi communities. But does this only come from the Ashkenazim ? No, as I have experienced the opposite myself. Some Sepharadim called me, without any reason, "stupid Ashkenazi" in the streets. I didn't even know those people and was just passing by.

As I said before: If I want to join a school system or any other system, I have to agree to their rules. If I have complaints and don't like it, so I don't join. Why go to a Beit Yaakov when I don't agree to the rules ?

It may sound funny but here in Tel Aviv you hardly feel any tensions, as people are busy with other matters. In Jerusalem, however, society tensions are pretty obvious and the press has done its best to cause further hatred towards haredi society.

I am going back to the tensions (Jerusalem) this afternoon. Tel Aviv is boiling hot and like a tropical island where the sweat is dripping down from your skin.

"Shabbat Shalom - Good Schabbes" to everyone !

Haredi Demonstrations against Supreme Court Verdict

The Beit Yaakov girls in the above picture have nothing to do with court case and I just took a picture of them at the Kotel (Western Wall). The day before yesterday, those Sephardi Beit Yaakov students went to pray at the Kotel. 

Photo: Miriam Woelke

B"H

Yoav Lalom, the Sephardi Haredi who took the Ashkenazi parents from the Israeli settlement Emmanuel to court, is not very popular these days. In fact, he received death threats but all this doesn't keep him away from announcing his opinions. About two weeks ago, he made some hinting remarks in an interview of an Israeli secular newspaper: "If I was running for the Knesset right now, I would beat SHASS (the Sephardi haredi Knesset party run by Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef and Eli Yishai)".

Does Lalom's statement mean that he has political ambitions and only uses the Beit Yaakov in Emmanuel ? It would be interesting to know who or what political agenda is really standing behind Lalom.

Today, groups of the Agudat Israel such as Gur and many litvishe Haredim are going to demonstrate in Bnei Brak (Rabbi Akiva / Chazon Ish Junction) and later on in Jerusalem (near the Russian Compound). Even the litvishe Poskim (leading halachic experts and Rabbis) Rabbi Eliyashiv and Rabbi Wosner announced their participation in both demonstrations. Actually Rabbi Yosef Shalom Eliyashiv had to make a halachic decision yesterday when he was asked whether it is allowed that Talmud Torah students are allowed to miss their studies when participating in today's demonstrations. Rabbi Eliyashiv's answer was that the fight against the secular verdict of a secular court is more important because it is a fight for protecting the Torah and its legal system. 

For weeks or even months, the Beit Yaakov girl's school in Emmanuel has been in the Israeli headlines. Today the secular and anti - haredi paper YEDIOT ACHARONOT dedicates its first four pages just to haredi society and how all Haredim are so terribly bad for the modern State of Israel. It has become extremely popular to lead away from important economical issues and, at the same time, concentrating on haredi society as scapegoats. Secular newspapers as well as secular so - called "lecturers / authors about haredi society" have been spreading their hatred and false information. These days, every little Humptydumpty thinks he is able to commentate and make statements concerning haredi society without having ever been part of frum society. 

However, I bet that most publishers don't even see a difference between those demonstrations taking place in Yaffo by the Edah HaCharedit and today's demonstration against the Supreme Courts stating that Ashkenazi and Sephardi girls from the Beit Yaakov School in Emmanuel MUST study together and any separated school building would be considered as rassicism. 

The demonstrations against moving further bones from a Jewish cemetery is an issue of the Edah HaCharedit and has nothing to do with the Emmanuel demonstrations, as the Edah and the Agudah have totally different school systems and nothing to do with each other !

On the contrary, I can just see the Edah Rabbis smiling because it is not them accepting money from the Zionist government supporting their school systems (see Dushinsky, Toldot Aharon, Toldot Avraham Yitzchak, Spinka and others). Members of the Agudah such as Gur, Belz and I suppose the Slonim as well, do accept money from the Israeli government. As soon as this is the case, the present government is trying to interfere. Never mind but also the Agudah has a secret weapon and doesn't need to point at "maybe we shouldn't accept the money". 

It was the Gerrer Knesset member Yaakov Litzman who appeared on all haredi radio channels yesterday. Litzman, the representative of the Gerrer Rebbe in the Knesset, is running the haredi show and whoever has a problem - "Yankele will take care". 

In his interviews, Yaakov Litzman admitted that he is trying to find a proper solution between all parties involved. The haredi parents of the girls in Emmanuel, the secular Israeli court system and Chassidut Slonim. 

Emmanuel has one Beit Yaakov system but two buildings. One for Sephardi girls and the other for Ashkenazi girls. Both backgrounds don't study together for different reasons:

1. Ashkenazi girls want a good Shidduch (match) and see their goal in danger while studying together with Sephardi girls. 

2. The Sephardi girls in Emmanuel are mostly children from Baalei Teshuva and many of them are not really religious yet. Some were seen not keeping Shabbat. 

3. About two weeks ago, even the former Sephardi Chief Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef said that Sepharadim and Ashkenazim should study separately due to different MInhagim (customs) and mentalities. 

So, lets say those haredi Ashkenazi parents from the Chassidut Slonim in Emmanuel would give in and let their girls study with those Sepharadiyot ? Would Yoav Lalom have reached his goal and Sepharadim and Ashkenazim finally became equal ?

The answer is NO or can you imagine seeing these girls sitting peacefully together in class ?

Two more weeks until the summer vacation and Chassidut Slonim is thinking about moving their girls from Emmanuel to a different school after the summer vacation. Today the Ashkenazi haredishe world is demonstrating against a secular court telling Haredim what to do. A Slonimer Chassid said on the haredi radion channel "Radio Kol Chai" last night that the demonstrations have to take place in a peaceful way. No one should throw stones or attack the cops. Instead the demonstrators want to pray Tehillim (Psalms) together. 

I don't understand this whole issue. Lets say I am joining the Beit Yaakov school systems; at that moment I accept their rules and if I don't like them, I don't join. If the Sephardi girls don't like it, so go to a different school because a court verdict may officially grant you some rights but what about the people later on ? Will anyone accept and love you ? No ! Just the opposite.

As I said, I would love to know who is behind Yoav Lalom. My second question is if the Slonimer Chassidim from Jerusalem join into the fight together with their Bnei Braker counterpart.

BUY BADATZ !

BADATZ (Beit Din Zedek) Hechsherim (Kosher Certificates)

B"H

Maybe it is a mistake reading the secular newspaper "Yediot Acharonot" almost every day. One of my excuses for doing so is that I have a Cafe Aroma membership card and thus drink my first cup of coffee in the morning there. And Aroma offers its customers  "Yediot Acharonot" to read.

Anyway, any time when I have been opening the paper lately, I found articles from all kinds of journalists against the haredi world. Israel's secular journalists don't make a difference between those Haredim from the Agudat Israel who do vote for the Knesset and those who are anti - Zionist. No matter whether Litvak or Chassid, Israel's secular society generalizes. 

The secular public itself is not that interested because those Jews have heard all kinds of anti - haredi propaganda over the past years. For instance, there was the former Minister of Justice (under Ariel Sharon) Tommy Lapid whose Shinui party only had one goal: Getting rid of the Jewish religion and all the religious in Israel. 

Today there is the present Tel Aviv mayor and known leftist Ron Chulda'i as well as opposition leader Zipi Livni or even Benjamin Netanyahu. All of them have one thing in common: They would like to get rid of the Haredim. However, Netanyahu is limited in expressing his anti - haredi views, as the haredi parties SHASS and Agudat Israel are part of his government. 

It has become popular lately, making politics on the back of the Haredim. Thanks to Zipi Livni who speaks out against Haredim but, at the same time, embraces the homosexuals. Ron Chulda'i, on the other hand, wants to introduce his own left - wing party and thus is in need of attention. Why not making some remarks against Haredim and get into the headlines ? Chulda'i's plan worked and now haredi society has to justify its education system, as the Tel Aviv mayor sees them as a whole generation of "Burim" (stupid and a welfare burden to society). 

Almost daily, "Yediot Acharonot" confronts its readers with negative reports about the haredi world. Child abusers in Yeshivot, Haredim don't join the army but only study, not even that, as most of them just hang around unemployed and receive welfare.

Last Friday afternoon after arriving in Jerusalem (from Tel Aviv) I witnessed a very typical scene at the Machane Yehudah Market. 

 The market was packed (as usual on Friday afternoons before Shabbat) and some young Israeli Chabadnikim were standing right in the middle of one of the main alleyways asking Jewish men to put on Tefillin. For Chabad, this is a great Mitzvah, as their last Rebbe claimed that every Jew doing one Mitzvah has a place in Olam HaBah (the World to Come). 

The Chabadnikim were asking every man passing until one of the Chassidim asked this young Israeli rather Hippie looking. The secular "Hippie" was schlepping his shopping bags and obviously wasn't too happy about the young Chabadnik asking him to put on Tefillin. The Chabadnik said "Tefillin ?" and the secular answered in a rather rude way "If you are going for me to the reserve duty !"

Meaning "You don't go to the army but I do. Why should I put on Tefillin if you do nothing ?"

Such statements are very common in today's Israeli society. 

I am neither justifying nor glorifying haredi society, as every society has its pros and cons. However, if anyone was repeatedly publishing negative statements about one particular society, lets say the national religious, people belonging to this particular group would protest. Haredi society, on the other hand, has no real lobby within Israeli society and the haredi press is too weak. Of course, the Knesset member Yaakov Litzmann (Chassidut Gur) may protest but who cares. Not even too many Haredim care about what Litzmann has to say. The secular hate him anyway because he is seen as a fanatic and ruining the health system (Litzmann is the deputy minister of health). Let alone the whole fuss about the pagan cemetery in Ashkelon. 

A few days ago, Israel's secular press had a new idea:

The Haredim boycott our army, Egged buses, the state - owned airline ELAL, our justice system, don't pay taxes, you name it. So, lets get some revenge and start a boycott against them. From now on, we won't buy products with a Hechsher (kosher certificate) from the "Edah HaCharedit". The Edah is responsible for all the crazy demonstrations and now let them suffer. Let them see how it is to be boycotted. 

Secular politicians as well as their press forgot to differentiate between the Edah Hechsher and the other Badatz (Beit Din Zedek kosher certificate) from the Belzer Chassidim. Badatz is Badatz, no matter what and who. 

One secular Jew following the boycott walked into a grocery store and asked for Badatz free products. Unfortunately, there wasn't too much to buy (food) for him, as most products were certified by Badatz. Apparently boycotting is not that easy !