Jerusalem Police Chief Niso Shacham requested a meeting with Eida Chareidis Gavaad HaRav Yitzchak Tuvia Weiss Shlita, apparently to call on the rav to instruct his tzibur to exercise restraint, seeking to calm the situation regarding increased chareidi violence.
According to BaKehilla, the Gavaad refused to meet with the senior commander, apparently blaming him for his share of the incitement against the chareidi tzibur, adding Rav Weiss stated if the police chief wishes to calm the situation, he possesses all the tools to accomplish this, refusing to grant him the meeting that will provide him a photo op.
While the Jerusalem police chief is persona non grata, the Gavaad did agree to meet with Chief of Operations Nissim Edri and City Center Precinct Commander Eli Kuzari. They reportedly asked the Gavaad to do what he can to calm the tzibur regarding ongoing activities surrounding what has been dubbed the ‘honor of women’ issue by the secular media.
The Gavaad opted to respond to the commanders by explaining the days of Chanukah and the miracle of the few against the many, beating the odds. The rav explained their victory was due to the righteousness. The rav added that even in the Chanukah time there were those who called for “understanding the other side”, referring to those who lost the correct path, but the Chashmonaim would not hear of it and it is in their merit that Chanukah is celebrated by Jews worldwide today.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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13 Responses
The choice of the Gavaad, he has met with Police Officials when he deemed necessary.
Calling females names or defending a ‘particular code of tzinuis’ is not what we commemorate during the yom tov of Chanukah.
The Chashmonoeim eventually became Misyavnim. Yanai Hamelech killed all Chachomim and so did King Herod.
Right after the Neis Chanukah, the Romans were actually in control of Eretz Yisroel, and things slowly deteriorated, leading to the terrible Chorbin; millions of Yidden slaughtered.
It is really hard to know from these little news bytes, from quotes, or pieces of quotes, perhaps inaccurate, or perhaps taken out of context,- what was REALLY said.
I certainly hope that HaRav Weiss was NOT equating the sick thugs in Beit Shemesh who spit, curse, and throw things at little girls, and have created a horrible PUBLIC chilul HaSh-m, – with the holy Maccabee’im who acted to create a huge, PUBLIC KIDUSH HaSh-m.
“Rav Weiss stated if the police chief wishes to calm the situation, he possesses all the tools to accomplish this,”
It sounds like the Rav feels like he has no power over these people and he knows that the only way to stop the violence is if the police toughen their stance and start arresting anyone who gets physical.
The Chanukah miracle compared to calling a woman (words removed) on a bus? or spitting on an 8 year old girl. (words removed)
Well if the Gaavad won’t cooperate, the police should do what they deem fit, including the use of force. When R. Weiss protests it, he can be reminded of his stance when offered something of a olive branch.
SO the Gavaad is going to bury is head in the ground and hope that either a neis will make it all go away or the public will get tired of the whole story!
shrewd PR — just as shrewd, might I say, as the PR brilliance that got the entire charedi community embroiled in all of this to begin with.
If the Gavaad is really concerned about the negative image of Chareidim in the media he should use his power to lead and guide his tzibur away from violent ways.
He has not been forcefully been mocheh against the violence now nor has he forcefully been mocheh in the past.
One way to stop violence is to tone down rhetoric. Calling those whom he disagrees with “misyavnim” does not aid the cause of yideshkeit.
He is the de facto leader of the non-zionist community, which predates the state by many years. He is right to refuse to see a relatively low level (local police official) who views such a meeting as a way to boost his own career but showing “he can put those hareidim in their place”, while being willing to meet with people involved in actual police work in the area. Someone of equal rank would be the President or Prime Minister, not a low level local official.
Realistically, it is highly unlikely that the Eidis Hareidus has any control over what a few individuals due, probably on their own rather than at the behest of some Rebbe or Rav. And, if the Eidis ever tried to use force to maintain order the government would promptly object (the ban on armed citizens patrol goes back to the Brits, who feared rebellion and for good reason).
Israel needs a jobs program. If you are arrested by a demonstration you will have to (gasp!) work 40 hours for the next 40 weeks.
What does he have to do with those guys in Beit Shemesh? They don’t listen to anyone. They consider him too moderate.
The group in Beit Shemesh is known as an outcast. The ever-hungry Israeli media, always looking for a good smear on Chareidim — especially because of the Mehadrin bus — searched and found this place.
For years, all types of people have visited Mea She’arim. In fact, it is mostly a modern crowd that you find there. Now they got their man! They found someone who’ll tell them on TV whatever they wanted to hear him say.
There is no question the police is biased, we see it again and again, a charedi’s word against a secular’s is null.. They treat Charedim as second class, the secular are violent towards the charedim in Beth Shemesh for years, nothing was ever done!
Its about time that the truth about these extrem kanoim or like one wrote korach & his people will come out.
These kanoim have been around for many years and have always been harrasing & making trouble in yerushalaim demonstratng againts israel marching with the arabs kissing irans leaders you know what. Now they have taken over beit shemesh allowing themselves to harras women for the sake of modesty when they themselves are big sinners and unmodest. It is not modest to run after women calling them sick names. It is not modest to spit at little girls or women . It is not modest to throw stones . If our charedi rabbies dont put a stop to this kind of terrible actions there will be a terrible brother war . These extremists must be educated & taught that they are going againts the torah in everyway they are going againts the biggest klal in the torah wich is ahavas Yisrael.