Don't Hate The Player: Hate Yourselves, Stupid

"According to the Center for Cult Victims, dozens of cults are active in Israel, from Iman and Transcendental Meditation, which have received state land for their activities, through Shai Tubali's cult and Scientology, to Rabbi Shraga Berg's Kabbalah Center and Rabbi Michael Leitman's Bnei Baruch group, whose members - well-known entertainment figures - glorify his name unimpeded. Many cultlike characteristics are also found in extremist ultra-Orthodox groups, including groups of the newly observant. Yet Israel has no law against cults, and therefore all these cults and quasi-cults are able to operate unhindered.

The sad story here is the story of the women, and not just Ratzon's women. It is not by chance that there have been no woman-led cults here since Rina Shani's death in India in the 1980s. A random check, in the spirit of the holiday of love, finds that the role of blind consumer is most often played by women. Every man, whatever his intelligence, income, age, health, looks and even personal status, will find enough blind buyers on online matchmaking sites.

Imagine Ratzon's female equivalent - a woman of 60-plus, or even 40-plus, not especially good-looking, with tons of children and no income of her own. What are the chances she would succeed in persuading more than one man, never mind 20 of them, to serve her, provide for all her needs and make her an adored queen?

The chances are extremely slim."

-- Neri Livneh, commenting on Israel's Goel Ratzon case, and stating the obvious - without the gullibility of women there wouldn't be a cult problem - but doing so by (of course) directing her anger at men, on Haaretz.