Q&A: Harming the State Within the Law
Harming the State Within the Law
Question
Is it morally permissible to harm the state within the bounds of the law? For example, as people threatened during the protest against the reform, to take all their money out of Israel? In other words, if there is a goal that seems important in my eyes, does that give me a moral right to cause significant harm to the state's economy within the law?
Answer
Why not? You have the right to move your money wherever you want, even for no reason at all. In my opinion there is no moral problem with that. And certainly if you are doing it as a protest or demonstration for a justified cause.
By the way, most of the people I knew who did this did so out of genuine concern for their money, not as a protest. Moreover, even someone who did it not out of concern for his money did so because, in his view, that money was being used corruptly for the benefit of certain sectors (like the Haredim). Is he supposed to be a sucker and keep contributing his money for the benefit of a government that exploits him? That's really turning the other cheek.