Two teens were taken into custody on Monday morning, the second day chol hamoed while on a jam packed bus traveling to the Kosel. The two pulled out a megaphone and began blaring their message to maintain gender separation on the bus, which was standing room only with nowhere to move.
Police suspect they were sent by “chareidim” to spread their message. They were detained for questioning.
Buses were packed as they made their way to Birkas Kohanim on Monday morning. Authorities reported a record-breaking 70,000 people attended the event.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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Other media outlets are reporting that the police have released the teenagers but arrested the two charedim who hired them to scream for women to move to the back of the bus. Whatever you believe on this issue of separation, behaving like these behamos is a real chillul hashem. A baas melech should be able to decide for herself where to sit on a bus, especially if she is travelling with her yinglach during chol hamoed.
Do these people have any daas?? I realize that Israel is a different culture but if this report is accurate, that behavior is lacking basic derech eretz and simple tact, in addition to be mechallel the Torah and Hashem !!
Anyone who uses a megaphone on a bus, train, or other public conveyance should be ticketed. The same applies to brass instruments, boom boxes, or any other instrument that makes an intolerable noise in a confined space where people are trapped for a short time.
They weren’t arrested for being impolite or for using a megaphone. They were arrested for urging people to obey halacha!
#1, I doubt they were arrested for *what* they were saying. Israel still has some vestige of free speech, and it is legal to urge people to stand separately on a bus. I’m sure they were arrested for creating a public nuisance by using a megaphone, and I have no problem with that. I wish they would arrest such people in NY too.