While the number of members of the chareidi community involved in what is becoming daily vandalism and violence is small, very small, the stain blemishes the entire community, with headlines in print and electronic media reporting “chareidi violence”, failing to mention the actions of the vandals are not representative of the community and the vast majority of its rabbinical leaders.
Sadly, the Hebrew chareidi media seems to ignore the violence or refrains from expressing any criticism, and in some cases, actually justifies the actions, perhaps feeling if chareidim do it, acts of indiscriminate violence and vandalism are permitted, even when they cause untold anguish to residents of the frum area, especially the elderly and infirmed, not to mention injuries.
At about 11:00pm on Tuesday night, trash receptacles were set ablaze and the road was blocked in the area of Kikar Shabbos, a favorite location for protests. Earlier in the day and during the late-night protests, bus service was halted as Egged announced it will no longer send drivers into a war zone, leaving many residents and visitors to the area stranded for hours. There are reports of other isolated incidents, including attacks against police vehicles. An Arab motorist was attacked as well, but it appears he escaped injuries.
The latest wave of violence began with stormy shabbos protests against the operation of Karta parking lot, escalating after a protestor was struck and injured by a car after blocking a street. Following Sunday’s tragic murder of a resident of a Tzfania Street hostel by an Arab assailant, which led to police calls for an autopsy, violence escalated again, with rocks flying at police, resulting in the use of teargas and stun grenades. A protestor was injured by a police car in Sunday night’s violence too. There were protests at the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute on Monday morning. Arrests were made on shabbos, Sunday night and Monday morning.
As a result, protests surround the “police brutality”, arrests of avreichim, the extended detention of detainees and what is now being labeled the “Zionist Gestapo”, also leading to a protest opposite the Israeli Consulate in downtown Manhattan.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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20 Responses
I cannot understand why yw considers this news worthy??? this is creating a “kitrug” (c’v) on yerushalmy yidden for no reason. your actions are no different then the “Hebrew chareidi media “
If the Chareidi leadership, which seeks to be an emporio in emporium won’t stop these crimes, they are complicit in them
What need to be done is to hit them where it hurts the most, their pockets!!. Make them pay for every piece of public property damage, close the government funded Tipa chalav, cut the electricity, let them live like cavemen, remove the privilege to do kashrut supervision (no more BaDatz Eidah Charedit) and you will see, guarantee that all this nonsense will end immediately…
We cannot judge. Sitting here in America reading about what goes on in Israel can evoke strong anger is any of us. Living AMONG and WITHIN the disturbances is another story. Human beings can only take so much tormenting before acting. I cannot really know how challenged these individuals are to maintain their mentchkite.
I just wan’t you all to remembr that befre opening the Parking lot on Shabbat there was NO violence.
And if we are not willing to risk ourself for the dessecration of Hashem’s Torah, then maybe we are just as guilty as the people who do the dessecration. And besides how many of you heard that it was a peacefull demonstration on Shabbat until the police decided to pepper spray the Admorim of Toldos Ahaaron and the Eida.
Don’t judge untill you hear the true facts.
#7…several good points.
why do we need YWN and Yechiel Spira to be apologists for the Chareidi world? Will the secularists and anti-Torah world now love YWN, Spira and the other ‘court jews’ that are ‘moderate’? Leave them alone and stop writing about it already.
The Swedes know they can go after the Jew ‘sheep’ that take their calumny docilely but are petrified to say a word about murderous muslims who they know will do them real harm.
no one condones violence… but stop being a jerk and stop condemning it. Nir Barkat used his bully power to attack Shabbos; bullies need other bullies to put them in place. If you want to do a service to Klal Yisroel use your bully pulpit to condemn Barkat and to advocate for the release of the arrested Chareidim. And remember ‘kol hameracheim al hachzor sofo l’hisachzeir al harachmun’.
Sabra (# 2)- what is newsworthy about this is the loud silence from all of our rabbanim . . And very interesting (# 6), you are an apologist excusing the inexcusable.
My word, by not stepping up to the plate and crying out against these outrages we are becoming, L’havdil ben eluf havdalus, “good Germans.”
Back to back stories about this and the story about the attack on the Arab taxi driver. May the Holy One help us.
#10, I am not an apologist excusing the inexcusable. Using the term, “inexcusable” is severely subjective and in most part is used not as an OBJECTIVE judgement of a situation, but rather to prop one’s self up to make themselves feel just and proper. Ok, if you need that, go ahead.
I am certain that after talking with the people in the story in real life, you may, although not agree or join them, but have a different understanding of these individuals. I assume this is situational and they are not animals outside of this situation.
To YWN reporters/editors:On what basis do you give these hooligans the honor of the term “avreichim” which implies that they usually occupied with Torah learning??? Not so sure that this is the case… Don’t even know if they deserve the term “charedim” which implies that they are “chared” or “anxious” to do “dvar H-shem”+ Gds Will. Is glorifying G-d’s Name what is really uppermost in their motivation??????????????????
As for those who are recommending collective punishment for all of “them”: you should know that the lovers of Yiddishkeit who are now in power in the city hall have stopped bus services and more to neighborhoods far removed geographically & IDEOLOGICALLY from this violence.
On the other hand, the anti-Yidden in power have unfortunately demonstrated time & again that they couldnt care less for democratic process, equal rights, or fair hearing. Most recently is the unbelievable major overhaul of the public bus system {about 10 different bus lines at once!}which has caused havoc, distruption in most of the frum neighborhoods, without access to major destinations, while leaving chiloni neighborhoods with their usual frequent buses which are relatively empty.
The city is heading for anarchy FROM BOTH SIDES. Like the obligation to become a Nazir after having seen a Sotah, I think all observers, near & far, who see all these terrible going-on, have each to do their own cheshbon hanefesh to work on correct any similar corruption/perversion/misguidedness in their own behavior and outlook. Esp now in Elul. Why is H’ showing us all this??? What about HIS anguish from all this???
#6 exactly what tormenting are you talking about. Could it be the government sponsored programs they accept but don’t contribute to?
Who acts like this? The Agudah certainly doesn’t, the moder orthodox don’t. These people are fanatics they have no respect for the law or hakoras hatov for the country they live in and are protected in.
Can you imagine if this went on in the States? Rest assured this would have been put down a long time ago. But the truth is, outside of Eretz Yisroel, we see respect for country, government and law. If there is an issue, there is dialog with law makers, there are CIVIL protests (which law abiding citizens have a right to do), and then of course there is voting in the candadates that best represent your views.
Where is “daas torah”? Where are the “leaders”? They lose respect from the general population when they sit back and don’t comment or protest this behavior.
#13- Could it be that you are extremely uninformed.Or are you being sarcastic? These people do pay taxes and do not accept a penny from the government so what are you talking about?
# 11 – veryinteresting – Wow . . . thanks . . . I mean . . . I never realized . . . that if I strongly disagree with you, and find the reported behavior to be inexcusable . . . that . . . I am guilty of propping myself up in order to feel just and proper . . . moichel me . . . please.
😉
i’ve pity on these people. they need jobs, all they need is jobs.
#14 I would like to know how you figure they pay taxes without jobs. I’m not going to get into it with you as to which ones accept what programs or other benefits from the same government they hate.You don’t beleive they act totally independant of the State of Israel – do you? Perhaps we should add an Eida State on the Palestinian State agends while things are still up in the air.
They do not have to agree with the State ideology but they do have to abide by the rules. Not to mention acting like a proper human being and showing what a “frum” Jew should act like. They are a disgrace to our religion – because they should know better. Bain adam l’chaveiro and derech eretz should be what they (and all frum kids) are taught way before anything else.
To #15 -Sammy, I really was hoping that would be brought up because like you said, if their goal was to bne in the same class, well a job well done.
I also noticed (and didn’t read yet) that R’ Weiss came out and condemmed the violence. 1) it’s about time 2) I thought they did that once already 3) I think that just condeming isn’t going to cut it. Be strong – come out when the violence is happening – protest against what they are doing and do it publicly so everyone can see this is not coming from the top.
#13- Could it be that you are extremely uninformed.Or are you being sarcastic? These people do pay taxes and do not accept a penny from the government so what are you talking about?
Comment by veyatziv — September 2, 2009 @ 1:48 pm
Great point.
#20, If that were true, then why are you afraid to mention who this quote “famous, hugely resected Rebbe of yesteryear” was? Oh, its secret? Right.
#23,
And I have a bridge to sell you.
You know no Jew period will now harm a grandson of a deceased person of “yesteryear” regardless of what statement he made. And if he was so “famous and hugely respected Rebbe” what you claim would be a well known fact.
So let us hear it bigshot. Oh, its still a State secret? Okay.
#20: BTW, who famously “resected” this one of yesteryear? Was it done from clay of the earth? Is he riding on a donkey now?
#26,
Based upon a fairy tail and an imaginary person? It was good for a laugh, that’s for sure.
And coming from someone who excels at nitpicking on others typo’s, whilst unable to take the heat when pointed out his own errors.
You really expected anyone to believe you claiming you had to protect the identity of your imaginary “famous, hugely resected Rebbe of yesteryear” since someone reading this thread would break his grandson’s windows, for what his deceased grandfather of yesteryear allegedly said 40 years ago (and apparently few knew of him saying it until your comment)?
Which bridge do you prefer?