12 Responses

1. The asinine comment of #1 is sheker and hotzas shem ra.

2. Tzarich iyun!?! THis seems very strange. Why would this protest have been postponed or cancelled??? YWN – Please give us more information.

3. This protest is a must

4. The protest is a “MUST”? Why? Tinokim Shenishba, who have no understanding of the Torah and its mitzvos, who do not understand why Shabbos “rest” requires people to walk uphill and downhill and sometimes long distances, instead of taking cars, which appears to them as more restful; we “must” demonstrate against them, antagonize them, act like “vilda chayos”, yell at them, even throw stones at them….This is a way to teach them Ahavas HaTorah and the beauty of its mitzvos? I don’t think so. The ka’as of Hashem is not against us when Tinokim Shenishba are m’challel Shabbos, it is against us when we are marbitz machlokes, sinas chinam and pirud in Kllal Yisroel.

   Better to come and set up a Shabbos Tish with free food, zmiros, and warm invitations to join L’Kavod Shabbos. Maybe they will be impressed by the beauty & warmth of the Torah and have a shtikel hisorurus and take a little more on themselves.

5. iF THEY FIND OUT IT WILL BE OPEN ON THIS FRIDAY-SHABBOS, THEY MUST BE THERE BEFORE. ONCE IT IS OPEN THE CITY WILL CLAIM IT IS AN ESTABLISHED PRECEDENT, LIKE THEY DID YEARS AGO WHEN TV WAS SHOWN ON THE FIRST SHABBOS AND AFTERWARD IT COULD NOT BE CHALLENGED!

6. #2, you should have been dan #1 l’kaf z’xhus. He was talking about Arabs throwing rocks.

7. Why #2? Haven’t there been many many occasions where instead of trying to teach those who are desecrating the Shabbos the right way to behave, instead rocks and stones are thrown at them? I have many non frum relatives – this is what the non frum community thinks of when they think of the charedim – people throwing stones, acting in appropriately (not to mention welfare and living off the state they don’t believe in). We talk all the time about kiddush Hashem and what we as the CHaredi community do. But you should know that this is not the way the rest of the world see us. And it is not just becuase they are prejudiced against people who are religious – it is beacuse of mistakes we make in how we act.

8. Thankfully the protest has been cancelled, so this is all dicta. In any event, I second everything said by #5 and would add the following:

   It is a chutzpa for the Chareidi community to protest over a parking lot. As long as Chareidim do not support the state, through military service or otherwise, to say nothing of outright antagonism toward the state, they have no right to comment on how the state runs its affairs. Short of being compelled to drive on Shabbos themselves, they should keep their mouths shut.

   Would we ever dream of protesting against our local government to close down a street or parking area for Shabbos, even if that area had previously been closed? Even in Brooklyn or Lakewood? It’s unthinkable. We have a recognition that we are guests here, or at best no superior to any other citizens, and have no right to be accomodated above and beyond the rights of anyone else.

   Why does this understanding not apply in Israel? Are the Chareidim suddenly zionists when it comes to communal Shmiras Shabbos that they need to see Israel enforce the Torah? Either they’re zionists or they’re not, they can’t have it both ways.

   First decide what you are, then start contributing militarily and monetarily just like everyone else. Then you can start thinking about protesting a parking lot.

9. I think there should be a Kinus for keeping Shabbos. Not on Shabbos but during the week. It should be huge, massive, and positive. It should target those who have a chance of returning to Teshuvoh. It would make no sense to target those who don’t know what Yom Kippur and Shabbos is.

   The Eida Hachredoth are well meaning people, who would like to see Chilul Shabbos reduced and who believe that they have a Mitzvoh of Hochayach Tochiyach es Amisecha. Amisecha is translated into Chavercha. A Chaver is only someone who is imcha bemitzvohs.

   We need to de-emphasize confrontation and emphasize engagement. The Teshuvah movement in Eretz Yisrael is proof that engagement works. There is zero empirical evidence that confrontation works.

10. B’H! The protest has been rescheduled.

    We must turn out in large numbers to protest the chillul shabbos and chillul shem shmayim that occurs on shabbos!!

11. i think everyone needs to stop fooling themselves there are very few if any isrealis who dont know that shaboos is a day of rest how could you not just walk through the streets if yerushalayim on a shabbos you see the difference therefore to claim “tinok shenishba” would be incorrect some rishonim would even go so far as to say as long as one has the knowledge of the Borei Oilam they can no longer be considered tinok shenishba
    now im not saying that this rally would need to be some sort of crazy wild protest with rock throwing and all however the statement needs to be made and if any of you people against this will remember any of the organized protests in last year there was far less “vildness” and any that happened was usually caused by someone else not the people of the eida chareidis

    # 10 your claim that it doesnt happen sles where is not a fair claim being as no where else does the govenrnment claim to be a jewish government or a jewish state so in the capital of this “jewish state” which with out question is the holiest place in the universe whats wrong with asking that jews shouldnt be mechalel shabbos more than nessesary by making it more convinient especially in such close proximity to the old city andkosel

12. making a machaha = demonstration is not merely to stop the activity, it is also to show our/your pain at the transgression & that witnessing this transgression should have no negative impact on your soul. (ballie mussar )