Two chareidi IDF soldiers feel they were blocked from boarding chareidi bus lines simply because they were soldiers in uniform. They believe the pressure from passengers influenced the drivers to prohibit them from boarding the bus.
The first case, reported by Ynet, occurred last week near Kibbutz Chafetz Chaim when a chareidi soldier who lives in the south waited for an Egged 550 bus. When the bus pulled in three chareidim boarded at the stop but he was prevented from doing so. The driver claimed he was not permitted to stop at that location but a check with Egged confirms it was an official bus stop. The soldier explained he tried to argue with the driver to show him he was incorrect, and to point out others boarded the bus but to no avail. “I simply wanted to ride with him to the next junction to get closer to home. I did not wish to delay the passengers so I got off the bus and unfortunately, I did not manage to get the driver’s details” reported the soldier.
The soldier filed an official complaint with Egged and was told the matter would be addressed after vacation [which ends with Rosh Chodesh Elul].
A second case is reported to have occurred on Monday, 25 Menachem Av 5772 at the same stop. This time, a chareidi soldier tried boarding a 451 mehadrin line but was told “there is something wrong with the bus”. Despite whatever was wrong, the driver closed the doors and continued on his way, leaving the soldier behind.
“When I was in yeshiva I took that bus daily but with a large yarmulke, tzitzis and an IDF uniform I can’t” questioned the soldier rhetorically.
“I don’t get it. Egged is paid by the state so what gives here” he continued.
Egged spokesman Dan Ratner explains the report addresses to separate cases. In the first, with the 550 bus, the bus is an express line and the soldier just wanted to go to the next junction, which is not an authorized stop for that line.
In the second case, a 451 bus stopped on its way from Ashdod to Yerushalayim near Chafetz Chaim to check into a problem. The driver informed the soldier of “a problem” but the soldier did not realize that stop is not an authorized stop for that line, and the driver simply stopped to check a problem and was prohibited from taking additional passengers from the location.
Ratner stressed that Egged transports tens of thousands of soldiers daily in line with a High Court ruling of 2011 and there is no reason to suspect otherwise.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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6 Responses
If true very sick
Even EXPRESS BUSSES should allow a soldier to descend the next stop…these are our messangers and guardians.
Please note this line in the article:
“…Egged transports tens of thousands of soldiers daily …”
Then, note this: “…reported by Ynet…”
YNet is the left-wing site of the newspaper Yediot Achronot, an anti-Chareidi paper.
If you have not been sleeping for the past few months, you will realize that there is a wide ranging propaganda campaign aginst Chareidim now going on in Israel.
Since the IDF is a Holy institution to nost israelis, the best propaganda is one which casts Chareidim as enemies of the IDF.
YWN can you please confirm that the incident is in fact true?
If the incident as reported is true we in the Torah world need some major league introspection. Our “ben odom l’makom” might be ok but our “odom l’chaveyro” is in need of a major overhaul.
YWN is not even sure of what the truth is in this story. In fact, your headline reads “Were chareidi soldiers….?”. But hey, why miss a great opportunity to have people write daily loshon horah about what goes in in E”Y?
I think the meraglim would have LOVED this site. Too bad Moshe Rabbeinu assured the internet.
deepthinker says:
August 15, 2012 at 12:02 pm
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every time any newsite reports about crazy action from frum people we hear the same story
you will realize that there is a wide ranging propaganda campaign aginst Chareidim
however in 90% of the stories it simply was true