In the Charedi world, they consistently call the Dati-Leumi world "Mizrachi".
The Dati Leumi world stopped calling themselves that decades ago. The original name of the movement was in fact המזרחי - but that was 1902....
This is not a criticism but to my mind is just another sign of the disconnect between the two worlds.
The average Charedi can probably not name three Dati Leumi Rabbonim alive today. Again - not a criticism - just a sign of the disconnect. It goes without saying that the average Charedi understands very little of the Dati Leumi way of viewing the world.
It turns out that before Hashem gave us the Torah, he chose us as a nation "אשר בחר בנו מכל העמים" and only afterwards "ונתן לנו את תורתו". And when he gave us the Torah it was as a complete nation. Not just the Charedim. Not just the Dati Leumi. Everyone together. ["Chiloni" didn't exist. A new, modern, post enlightenent invention that will disappear sooner rather than later בעז"ה].
The Dati Leumi world is also [as I perceive it] completely detached from the Charedi way of thinking and lifestyle. They might be able to verbalize certain Charedi hashkafos but doesn't really understand. Sort of like a man who might be able to describe the female psyche but he really has no clue. [Myself included. After reading 10,000 books and articles, 31 years of marriage, 53 years of having a mother and three of my own daughters:-)]. Clueless.
In order to create אחדות and a people who are working together in order to increase כבוד שמים and bring משיח, we could use a LOT MORE understanding of the other groups and plain old love - which I see very little of not only between different groups but even in the same groups.
"ואהבת לרעך כמוך" is more slogan than הלכה למעשה.
The problem [as I see it] is that neither the Charedim nor the Mizrachi [:-)] WANT אחדות. The Charedim consider the Dati Leumi to be almost completely misguided and also feel threatened by all of their attacks while the Dati Leumi [in general] view the Charedim as evil draft dodgers who just care about getting goverment money [there IS no such thing as "government money". It is the people's money. Hat Tip to Prof. Miltie Friedman] and preserving their way of life.
The TRUTH is that each group has a LOT to learn from the other.
There is a tremendous amount of acrimony between the two groups. [I speak in very general terms b/c in each groups there are many many subgroups. Breslev is considered Charedi but so is Brisk and those are almost two different religions. Mercaz Harav is Dati Leumi but so is Gush and they are very far apart hashkafically].
Sad.
We need אחדות, understanding and a lot-lot-lot of אהבת ישראל אמיתית.
