Two decisions were made on Tuesday that are closely connected to the relationship between religion and state in Israel.
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The first was Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's order to cancel the tax on sugary drinks, which his predecessor – Yisrael Beytenu Chairman Avigdor Liberman – had imposed as a clear move against the ultra-Orthodox community.
The second was the final approval of the Chametz Law, which allows hospitals to ban the entry of leavened grain products during the festival of Passover.
Israel would have been better off if neither decision was made as in both cases it stemmed from coercion and belligerence toward the other.
The taxes on soft drinks supposedly stemmed from health considerations but were probably intended against a specific sector. And the Chametz Law was meant to spite Israelis who feel that the country is becoming increasingly more religious and that Halachah (Jewish law) is being forced upon them.
The desecration of Passover
When I was a kid, my friends and I used to sneak in all kinds of drinks and snacks into movie theaters. One time, we went as far as sneaking in an entire pizza, cut into slices and well hidden, of course. The second the lights in the movie theater went off, we took the slices out, and the hall filled with an intense smell of pizza.
That is what the ban on entering food into the movie theater achieved, and that is also what the ban on entering chametz into hospitals will achieve. Anyone wishing to bring a loaf of bread into the facility during Passover will find a way to do so, and no law or sign will prevent them. The only thing the Chametz Law will achieve is foster more antagonism.
"That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow," Hillel famously taught. And in the 21st century, his teaching is as relevant as ever.
Deliberately maligning the Haredi community by taxing beverages they commonly consume is unjustifiable, as is banning secular Israelis from bringing certain foods into the hospital because they are not kosher for Passover. That only desecrates God's name further and leads to more desecrations of Passover.
Even from a practical standpoint, it is hard to imagine how this law would work. For instance, if someone were to arrive at the Shaare Zedek Medical Center during Passover with a pie in hand, would he or she be required to present a certificate of kashrut? Or a rabbi's permit? This is a toothless and useless law that will only lead to more hostilities.
We are one
If there is one thing we can learn from the arguments for and against the judicial reform, it is that we must go back to being human. Both opponents and proponents of the legislation waved Israeli flags in demonstrations held on Monday, and oftentimes one could not differentiate which side it was, and this is the truth: we are one.
We must learn to respect one another and be human: in traffic, on social media, and in hospitals.
Dear secular Jews, do not force us to see chametz on Passover. Dear ultra-Orthodox Jews, stop forcing secular Jews to eat kosher on Passover.
Let's respect one another. Let's be human.
