Steve Ornstein – This Can not Continue or We Will Lose All Hope
There is much to be done to correct many of the social problems that prevail in our country. I have been mostly optimistic that we have the desire to finally address some of these issues. But I am also becoming frustrated of late because I want to see some action by our government before it is way too late.
One of these essential fixes that we need to be addressing is housing. Housing for all sectors of this country needs to be improved. In the central part of the country, the government must allow the building of all kinds of housing structures and ease the bureaucracy for contractors interested in creating housing for young singles and young couples. STOP the gross violation of limiting housing and high land prices for the benefit of the few. Take government land and give it away to the contractors with the understanding that they must pass these savings along to buyers. Depriving our children of a place to live that is affordable is a crime against the citizenry and the ethics and morality of a Jewish State.
We must help support and build housing in the non-Jewish sectors as well. We must help these communities supply decent accommodations for their children. How can we ever expect all of us to support the State if we deprive them their fundamental right to build decent housing for the younger generation of Israeli citizens?
HALT destroying housing that is illegal until established guidelines are fair and honest. The State must not refuse to allow permits for the natural growth of these communities. This is disgraceful behavior by our government officials. Many members of Knesset live in the most “elite” communities and receive salaries that are the envy of most and yet their lack of sensitivity and compassion for the rest of the population is criminal.
End the handouts to the religious establishment once and for all. Blackmail is criminal and must end for the sake of the entire country. We must end political fascism by the Rabbinute once and for all. Stop the monopoly of the ultra-orthodox that includes the non-Zionist and anti-Zionist establishment from having control of the marriage and divorce of our people.
It is the time that the entire rabbinic authority is expanded to include all streams of Jewish practice. That means that the Rabbinute must get out of the business of determining who is a Jew for the entire country. This disgusting behavior must end.
However, it will only end when the political system stops cynically being held hostage by the few that profess to know the “truth.”
The Western Wall needs to be open to all Jews not just a few. The State must support the right of all Jews, men and women to pray in the way they feel comfortable. We must accommodate all streams of Judaism that allows everyone to participate fully in the expression of their deep inspiration. The time has come for a spiritual revolution in our country that helps fully for all Jews to be free to partake of our rich tradition in all sectors of religious expression.
We are a Jewish State with minority communities that must participate fully in the building of the country. Therefore we must be sensitive to the needs of all our citizens and provide the necessary means to achieve this success. It is up to the government officials to wake up and realize that if they continue to be callous and insensitive to the citizens of this fantastic enterprise the destruction of the state will not occur from the threats of Hamas, Syria or Hezbollah but the unethical and immoral behavior of our leadership in Jerusalem.
