Q&A: Moti Ravid
Moti Ravid
Question
“This really is one of the wildest events in the history of the State of Israel. Until now there has never been an entire public that throws off all restraint like this and kills people. I don’t understand what religion has to do with what they’re doing. They were educated for years to receive everything and give nothing. There is no connection between faith and religion and what they’re doing.”
Prof. Ravid added: “There is a kind of provocation here of ‘I alone exist.’ They got used to receiving everything and giving nothing for years, and this is one of the reactions. I don’t think there are religious characteristics here; this is the corrupt education of a population. The rabbis, those among them who exist, the sensible ones, are shouting ‘Stop’—but there is a public that doesn’t listen.”
Do you agree with these statements?
Is it good that he was fired?
Answer
I read that he resigned, not that he was fired. In my view he is completely right.
Discussion on Answer
As is well known, there is anti-racist and politically correct hysteria nowadays, and this is part of it. Add to that the sentiment toward the Haredim (they look like my grandfather), which I mentioned here not long ago, and you get some of these reactions.
The man changed his mind drastically within 72 hours, so apparently he was fired… interesting—where did you get that he resigned?!
Indeed, it’s reasonable that if his employment had not been terminated—whether by being fired or by his wrenching his own thigh—he would not have attacked so sharply the people around the hospital that he manages all the time. But ending the job is, overall, just removing the thing that prevented him from venting what was on his heart, not some false revenge. As long as he worked there he functioned like a criminal’s lawyer being interviewed on the radio and insisting, “My client is innocent.”
BT, look, Professor Ravid is already apologizing https://twitter.com/KolBarama/status/1314246084210962435?s=20
“The things I said came out of frustration and pain, and I know it was unnecessary, and I said that the overwhelming majority of the Haredi public keeps the rules. There is a minority in the public that throws off restraint, and they don’t listen even to their rabbis.”
Interesting what happened to our criminals’ lawyer once he no longer has an interest and fear of his clients…
That’s the whole story, nothing more, https://twitter.com/yoelituv/status/1314072238434516992?s=20
So he “apologizes” — so what? Is anyone alive because of his mouth? As far as I’m concerned he is just a trumpet that loudly sounded what I also think, with or without him. His PR apology—like if they forced a complete heretic to say “I am willing” to give a divorce bill—of course isn’t worth the blast of a loudspeaker.
Who forced him to apologize?!
It looks like no matter what happens, even if it’s proven that he babbled nonsense because of his dismissal, you won’t change your mind.
Your opinion, Mr. BT, regarding Haredi conduct isn’t the discussion here; the discussion was about the fellow’s authentic statements.
Who forced *
Indeed, I won’t change my mind based on what he says. And before he apologized, did you change your own mind about the conduct of the Haredi sector?
If he had said things from within the hospital, and based on data that only he knows, or a comprehensive analysis touching on his expertise and experience as a doctor, then his words would have special weight. But when he speaks generally on the basis of a body of data that is, in essence, known to him and to others to a similar degree—then his opinion is just like anyone else’s, and only for purposes of public attention is there some curiosity in his role and status.
And from this you should understand that the discussion of the fellow’s authentic statements does not depend on whether or not the fellow later repeated or retracted them, but only on one’s opinion of the content of what he said.
Why he said what he said is a question for psychologists. Factually, his description does not line up with descriptions by outside observers* of Haredi conduct during the pandemic. Since these are observers who have no reason whatsoever to side specifically with the Haredim, there is no reason to assume they are lying.
* Brigadier General Gal Hirsch about his work in Elad, and Roni Linder from TheMarker about Bnei Brak. Both described public mobilization and seriousness that one could only wish every public in the country would adopt.
And here Gai Zohar brings out the real truth behind Ravid’s words, and after all we have agreement from the Rebbe of Lod that in his view he is completely right.
By the way, the Rebbe of Lod is a fan of Gai; he mentioned it several times.
But circles from across the whole political spectrum condemned it.
So is everyone just afraid of the Haredim?