Oriental tradition

As far as I understand, Bozaglo and his ilk are not just talking about Halacha. One could perhaps argue against them that here they are beginning to distort Judaism, but in the name of the principle of kindness we must describe their position in the most complete and fair way. In short, the question of right or wrong that the elite apparently perceives as broader in their eyes than the question of Halacha.

My opinion is that there is no Judaism apart from Halacha. That is why I only referred to that.

I wonder when and whether a breed of "traditionalists" will arise who simply will not accept the authority of the Talmud (and the Mishnah) as binding. I am quite surprised by the fact that there is no group (that I know of) that does indeed hold the written Torah, and perhaps also some solid traditions from the words of the sages, but also refers to the Tannaim and the Amoraim, etc. as part of its members in the court. It is very possible that in practice (what is permitted and what is prohibited in practice) we will get something very similar to today's traditionalists.

I think that traditionalism is not presented here entirely correctly. Traditionalists do not observe the commandments merely as a tradition (in the style of Ahad Ha'am) but out of a belief that God gave them. Why not all the commandments? There are many reasons, some of which are related to tradition (if grandfather does not exist, it is probably possible without) and some of which are unclear, and there is really not necessarily a philosophical basis here.

Also regarding moderation, I do not know what Bozaglo said, but usually the intention is simply inclusion. That is: he does not light a light on Shabbat because he is “secular”, but because he does not think that it is “hard work” that is forbidden. Thus, a range of halachic commitment is created without antagonism (and also without consent. Inclusion is not consent).

These questions have been raised here many times in the past. I explained that I am not engaged in a diagnosis here. My argument is principled: If a person observes the commandments not out of obligation but rather as a means of folklore or a means of national and religious identity, it has no religious value and is not a mitzvah. Whether this or that traditionalist does so for these reasons or for other reasons is not really relevant to the principled discussion.
Inclusion and moderation are not halakhic terms. Everyone will adopt a policy as they wish. It has no essential connection to Mizrahi or Westernism, even if we accept that Mizrahi people are generally more inclusive. In short, if you want religious inclusion, argue in favor of inclusion and don't tell me stories about Mizrahi and its importance (even if you are factually correct that Mizrahi is inclusion).

The basic question is what is authentic Judaism, or to put it a little differently: what is the central authentic component in Judaism? Only after answering this correctly can we ask what traditional Mizrahi Judaism has to contribute to us in this regard. I think that Bozgal and his ilk really distort the picture a bit, which is roughly what Mizrahi is saying (although in my opinion the distortion comes from a different place than he claims).
A second problem related to the first is that Bozgal's proposal may lead to the adoption of mediocrity and even superficiality. Let me give an example: I recently met a young, traditional Yemenite guy who told me that according to Rashi, a person can approach a dolphin (or dolphin...). Since he is a righteous man, he cannot be wrong. I am of course not claiming that if you are traditional, you necessarily adopt such a line of thinking, but I do think that the traditional Mizrahi public in Israel adopts in many cases an automatic way of thinking and perception of "Judaism." From the same conformism that tradition imparts to him.

This is absolutely not a characteristic of traditionalism. Ask any Haredi (and many non-Haredi religious people as well) and you will get a similar answer.

What is not a characteristic of traditionalism? Conformism?

Or did you mean that they hold such an opinion about the breeding habits of dolphins?

It is not clear whether traditionalism (Mizrahi) is truly a lack of commitment to Halacha. It is possible that at its core it contains (unconsciously) a true desire to keep all the commandments (and certainly faith in God and the Torah), but that social influence and a childish mentality have created the reality of Kiddush on Shabbat night and then (the next day) going to a soccer game. Perhaps this is the basis for the ruling of Rabbi Ovadia, who is one of those traditionalists who respects the Sabbath (they kiss their rabbis' hands) even though he publicly desecrates Shabbat, can ascend to the Torah. Rabbi Auerbach also ruled that it is possible to let a secular person say a blessing over food that is served to him (perhaps on the assumption that there is some kind of deep-seated belief in the person's heart if they want to honor you by saying a blessing. Although it is harder to say this with Ashkenazim and he, as a Haredi (who is a bit naive), does not know this reality. Personally, I always hesitate whether to ask them to say a blessing or if it is a waste of heaven's name and in doubt, I am stricter not to ask them to say a blessing and rely on his own permission that it is permissible to give them food even when they do not say a blessing on it).

On the penultimate Shabbat, Rabbi Melamed argued that based on a similar thing, some people make it easier for converts to convert those who will probably be traditional after conversion, on the assumption that they truly accept the burden of the mitzvot in their hearts and will someday fulfill all the mitzvot. This is indeed what happens with traditional Mizrahi people, most of whom grow stronger over time and become religious (I personally know a few of them). In my city, many traditionalists have become Haredi in general

Adhering to the words of Chazal or the Rishonim as if they could not be wrong.

The point is not the specific point of blind faith in the righteous and their wisdom, but rather the establishment of a general norm according to which the appeal to Judaism should be anchored first and foremost in some automatic sentiment (by virtue of belonging to a particular community and heritage). As Rabbi Ovadia said during the elections: One Sephardic woman kissing a mezuzah is better than 50 university professors. This is not only a criticism of "external wisdom" but also a statement about how a Jew should approach his religion. "Warm" emotion and not "cold" intellectualism. This approach has negative (and perhaps also positive) consequences for one's attitude towards life, religion, society, etc. I could give examples.