It's high time we confront the Ultra-Orthodox leadership's double standards

This week's inflammatory remarks by Rabbi Dov Landau, a prominent ultra-Orthodox leader, have laid bare a crisis that's been simmering in Israeli society for decades. Landau's assertion that "Zionists are to blame for Arab hatred" and his shocking claim that Religious Zionist soldiers are "dying because their rabbis teach them corrupted Torah" isn't just offensive – it's a symptom of a deeper problem that can no longer be ignored.

The ultra-Orthodox community in Israel has mastered the art of having it both ways. They benefit from billions in state funding, enjoy the protection of the IDF, and wield significant power in parliamentary committees. Yet their leaders consistently declare that "the state isn't theirs" – or, as Rabbi Landau put it this week, that "we can manage without a state." This selective participation in Israeli society, taking the benefits while shirking the responsibilities, has reached its breaking point.

But there's more to these outbursts than mere contradiction. They reveal a profound fear within the ultra-Orthodox leadership – not of Religious Zionism, but of changes within their own community. A new generation of ultra-Orthodox Jews is increasingly seeking integration into mainstream Israeli society through higher education, employment, and even military service. Their leaders' inflammatory rhetoric is less about theology and more about maintaining control over a community that's slowly slipping from their grasp.

As mayor of a city with a substantial Religious Zionist population, I've witnessed firsthand the profound commitment this community brings to both religious observance and civic duty. They serve in elite military units, build thriving businesses, and raise families deeply rooted in both Jewish tradition and modern Israeli life. When the nation calls, they're first to respond – often paying the ultimate price, as we've seen all too clearly since October 7.

The deafening silence from Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and his Religious Zionist Party in response to these attacks is particularly troubling. Their unwillingness to defend their own constituency – whether during debates about military service or in response to such verbal assaults – reveals how political expedience has trumped principle.

The status quo cannot continue. Israel faces existential challenges that require all citizens to share in both the burdens and benefits of statehood. The simple equation should be: no service, no benefits. The state of Israel isn't a charity – it's a covenant that comes with both rights and responsibilities.

Since October 7, we've been forced to reevaluate many of our assumptions about Israeli society. The role of the ultra-Orthodox community must be part of this national reckoning. As we move forward in 2025, we need a new social contract where everyone – without exception – contributes to our collective security and shares in our success.

This isn't just about military service or economic contribution – it's about the future character of Israel itself. We're fighting for our survival, not just against external threats, but against internal divisions that threaten to undermine the very foundations of our state.

The time for diplomatic niceties has passed. Either we address this fundamental inequity in Israeli society, or we risk compromising the democratic and Zionist principles upon which our state was built. The choice is that stark, and the time to make it is now.

Yossi Brodny is the Mayor of Givatayim and a vocal advocate for equal civic participation in Israeli society.