Chief Rabbi Yonah Metzger Shlita has broken the silence, speaking out on Sunday against the violent protests surrounding the exhumation of kevarim at the proposed building site of Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon.
The rav explains he supports dialogue, sitting around a table to discuss idea and differences. Such actions can promote understanding and mutual agreement he explains, but the protests “are not the way”, stating they actually encourage extremism and widen the already existing chasm.
Speaking to Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) on Sunday, the Rav stated that “once a decision was reached, one must respect the authority, in this case the government”.
The Rav spoke of hoping the government would seek a compromise, but now, following a decision, after the fact, “the protests have no value”. He accuses “chareidi elements” of seeking to “agitate others” and rejects any attempt to accuse the decision makers of acting “out of malice”, insisting their motives are genuine, but adds there are many who believe that disturbing graves can indeed bring tragedy to a nation.
Rav Metzger was adamant in his comments, opposed to protests after a decision has been rendered, warning such actions “only serve to fan the flames of hatred where we should be working to enhance unity”.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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14 Responses
This rabbi has a right to his opinion. Nevertheless the Gedolim disagree with him.
Which Gedolim outside of the Satmar/Neturei Karta type sect agree with this kind of behavior that most definetely are not productive in the least and most probably are keeping the chilonim from ever wanting to become frum. Why would they want to associate with a bunch a wild nut cases? Doesn’t exactly spell sweetness of Hash-m’s holy Torah to me..
Volvie, your innuendo is sickening. The Rav is likewise a gadol. The Gedolim instructed these people to riot after the fact? Do you ride the buses here? Is your time stolen and your parnassah damaged because the streets get closed? The Rav has a valid point but you cant see the garbage and the sinas achim because he isnt your brand. Feh.
frumimaof3/#2: Rav Elyashev, Rav Kanievsky, and many others.
Volvie, doubt they agreed with the way the protests were carried out . Doubt they EVER agree with violence.. Guaranteed they would want the protest to be peaceful with actions befitting Bnei Torah.. Doubt they would agree with ASSAULTING police officers.
I want to HEAR it from their own mouths OR I want to see them writing the psak.. until then…
Don’t doubt, verify. It is a verifiable fact. And the so-called “violence”, “riots”, and “assaulting” are mere figments of the zionist press’ imagination rather than reality.
volvie, I am interested in truth, and you are interested in brand names and in numbers. Does this increase machlokes or decrease it. Does it advance the Geulah or does it distance the Geulah. I live in a mixed neighborhood in Yerushalyim, and my hiloni neighbors in friendly terms call me a chareidi mezuyaf, a counterfit haredi, because they are terrified of the demographic tide. I understand how they see these riots. I, unforunately know the answer to my two questions.
Every gadol who “agrees” to a protest says it should be done without violence or destroying things. And that is what is written on the announceemnts so probably they “agreed” on an even smaller scale than what is said. Their word is twisted around so much that it is almost impossible to know what they really say unless someone knows from a reliable source.
that being said… of course we need to protest when things are done against halacha. but there is a way to do things. each time there is a protest like the ones today/last night…
– hundreds of people are late for work
-many people with asthma/breathing issues get sick
-storekeepers/shops in those areas lose money
-people living in those areas have a mess all over and can’t get buses or their garbage taken out
and many more inconveniences to the tzibur.
Do all of the ppl who see these results think ‘ its the government fault for doing x, y, z’ ?! No!! Everyone thinks those ” ” are at it again.
It makes chilonim despise charedim, turns a lot of frum ppl off, etc…
koma, you are interested in uncritically believing the lies spewed daily by the press.
Volvie, do you uncritically believe the lies spewed in Pashkevilim?
There have been a few videos of the Gedolim (which you mentioned) showing how what they say is not what ends up in the posters and loudspeakers which annoy Davka the Chareidi neighborhoods.
#3 this rabbi is a gadol?
I do not know anything about Chief Rabbi Metzger Shlita;
I am sure that he is a Gadol (lets face it anyone with Smicha knows a lot more Trah then I do, let alone a Rebbe with many adherents) and thus I would no right to question him.
I will just say I do not understand, because it seems to me that everytime Cheredi Jews try and “talk it out” those one the other side of the issue, simply act like they do not exist, and roll right over them.
#3 – As far as I can see, #1 was respectful of R’ Mtzger but said that “the Gedolim disagree with him”. So why do you call him “sickening”, and “you cant see the garbage and the sinas achim because he isnt your brand”? He isn’t the one who sounds like he has a sinas chinom problem.
That said, I do believe that any violence is counter-productive in the extreme, both short-term and long term. Peacful protests are the way to go, as many choshav rabbonim have said time and time again.
#11 You are on a madrega to say he’s not?
Volvie, your are too quick to bite, and you did not read or care to consider my post and some other posts in the same tune. I don’t need anybody’s press. I live here and I see what goes on, and I see the results. This is not Darchei Noam, and there are severe consequences, the least of them being gezel from the public. Rav Meztger sees the consequences and said what is needed to be said. If you disagree, do it quietly, becuase Makchish Magideha is an ain lo chelek l’olam haba.