JERUSALEM – The parliamentary hearings in the Knesset on June 3 and July 27, 2025, concerning “ritual sexual crimes” have become a catalyst for a process of media-led desacralization of religious institutions in Israel.
Using a theoretical framework developed by the Dor Moriah Think Tank and sociologist Lola Kolpina, this article argues that the Israeli public discourse is undergoing the consolidation of an ontological bubble—a cognitive-social condition where complex realities are reduced to binary oppositions, religious symbols are re-coded as signs of criminality, and trust in institutions erodes rapidly.
The joint session of the Committee on the Status of Women and the Special Committee on Youth Affairs addressed “numerous testimonies of organized ritual sexual violence.” Testimonies described crimes that took place in synagogues, cemeteries, schools, and yeshivas, often implicating religious leaders.
The sexual abuse allegations were extensively covered in Israeli national media, reinforcing a narrative linking religious spaces to systematic abuse. The gap between the legal status of the testimonies (allegations not yet verified in court) and the media narrative (persistent framing of the sexual abuse as systemic religious crimes) became the entry point for symbolic desacralization.
It should be emphasized that if the allegations are verified, the victims deserve the full support of Israeli society at large and should get widespread sympathetic coverage in the Israeli media.
However, framing the sexual abuse as “systematic religious crimes” as if Judaism sanctions gang-rape, rape, child pornography, and other forms of sexual violence just works to demonize the Jewish faith on the whole for the actions of a minority rather than ensure support and sympathy for the victims.
Just as the priests who were responsible for the Catholic priest child sexual abuse scandal in the United States do not represent all Catholic priests, the individual rapists mentioned in these testimonies do not represent all rabbis and other members of religious Jewish society.
It does both the victims and religious Jewish society a grave injustice to claim that the actions of a minority of rapist rabbis reflect all rabbis and members of Haredi society.
One of the key factors ensuring the diversity of society is the coexistence of people with different belief systems and lifestyles. However, in public debates and the media, religious individuals are sometimes portrayed as “backward,” “dangerous,” or “fanatical.” This is not only an injustice to individuals but also a serious blow to the fabric of harmony and unity within society.
Whether in the Torah, the Qur’an, or other sacred texts, the value of a human being is emphasized as coming from their Creator. The Book of Genesis in the Torah states: “God created man in His own image” (Genesis 1:27). This verse shows that every human being possesses inherent dignity regardless of their beliefs.
Demonization violates this fundamental principle — judging a person not by who they are, but by the group they belong to. History shows that the rhetoric of hatred toward religious groups has deepened social conflicts. As a result, mutual trust between both religious and non-religious communities has been damaged. In contrast, mutual respect strengthens the safety and stability of society.
Religious individuals have made significant contributions to humanity in the fields of science, art, literature, and charity. For example, the famous Jewish scholar Moses Maimonides played an important role in medicine and philosophy, while Muslim scholars such as Avicenna (Ibn Sina) and Al-Biruni made major contributions to the history of science. To suffocate them with stereotypes is to ignore this heritage.
In the Torah, the command “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18) applies not only to one’s own community members but also to strangers. This principle provides a religious basis for showing empathy and understanding toward people of different religious experiences.
Demonization closes the door to dialogue. When people see each other as “enemies,” the exchange of ideas becomes impossible. Yet civil discussion allows for the mutual enrichment of both religious and secular values.
Demonizing religious individuals is contrary to justice, social harmony, and human values. The teachings of the Torah and other sacred texts show us that mutual respect and love are the only way to overcome differences and build a healthier future together.
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