[PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]
7:15PM EST: The NYPD tells YWN that approximately 20,000 people have gathered at Federal Plaza in Manhattan, where the anti-Israel protest in underway. Hundreds of Satmar Yeshiva students are holding signs, designed specifically for the event. The event is protesting the proposed IDF Draft of Bnei Yeshiva.
Thousands of Satmar Chassidim from Kiryas Yoel, Williamsburg, Monsey and other areas are streaming towards the location. As YWN had first reported two weeks ago, both Satmar Rebbes had agreed to attend the same event, and to put their differences aside for a few hours to join together and fight Zionism.
Initial photos by Yitzy Engel – additional photos will be added to the gallery as we get them.
YWN PHOTO LINK: Click HERE for photos.
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59 Responses
The term “chilul hashem” is used around here quite frequently with respect to anything certain posters vehemently disagree with but this demonstration certainly would seem to fall within the literal meaning of the term. For the large percentage of American viewers watching these photos on the evening news and who recall the sacrifices of tens of thousands of yidden who were niftar defending this nation in multiple wars, they will be repulsed by the notion of giving an entire segment of the Israeli population a blanket exemption from military service.
Chillul Hashem Chillul Hashem………..i cant take this any more if your so serious about this then you should be sitting and learning. when the guyim in Manhattan see this what do they think????????
vos? vos zugkt der “sign”? ess is geshribin in english? mir kennen nish di goyeshi shprach!!!
Anyone knows a hotline to listen in ?
Look at all the guys laughing in the below picture enjoying a day out in Manhattan. They don’t look like they have any clue what they are protesting about and couldn’t care less.
Couldn’t you at least attempt to cover up your bias? Not a word about the draft or that other Keillos are participating?
I am in attendance and there is a nice amount of litvish bnei yeshiva who are here. There are also litvish roshei yeshiva on the dais.
Did the 2 Rebbes say hi to eachother?
This is absolutely the worst thing I have ever seen in my life. While they have a right to protest something they feel so strongly about, it should not be done in such a forum. It is without a doubt a huge busha and chilul Hashem. If we can’t get along, how can we expect anyone else to get along with us. And now for my own question of the day, if these people hate the State of Israel so much, why do they expect it to subsidise their sitting and learning all day to the exclusion of making a living, paying taxes and serving in the army????? Don’t bite the hand that feeds you……
Would be much more appropriate, and less of a chillul Hashem, if they all went to Eretz Yisroel to protest.
Wow! I actually got a partial update from YWN. They added “the event is protesting the proposed IDF draft of Bnei Yeshiva.”
Thanks, now can we please get an update on the numbers?
It depends who you are if are a ben torah like a Jew has to be then it is a kidush hashem but if you a anti ben torah like a gentile or a jew that hates a ben torah then it is a chilul hashem.
If this event, which was sanctioned by many gedolei yisroel, is a “Chillul Hashem”, it is one that I am proud to have been a part of. You “armchair quarterback, who have nothing when it comes to the roshei yeshivos who were a part of it, can call it whatever you want. Fact is there were many who said to attend and we followed.
If the US would decide to that you and your children had to learn about ……, I would like to see you sit back and do nothing.
As R’ Elya Ber Vachtofogal said, and I paraphrase: “First it is the b’nei hayeshiva then it will be the bnos yisroel.
Bunch of clowns having a fun day in the city instead of learning. Tens of Thousands of dollars wasted for making the signs, having buses, renting the chairs, instead of spending for better cause. I think their yideshkeit is fake when the biggest mitzva of Ahavas Isroel is ignored, and when their own leaders, 2 brothers from the same family hate each other, and there is no Tshuva for that. Disgusting Hillul Hashem and playing in front of goyim will not be helpful to their cause.
If Satmar hates the Medina that has taken good care of them for so many years, perhaps they should move to Satu Mare which means”Great Villiage”. Until 1925, it was called by the Hungarian name Satmer.
Any questions?
I heard the 2 brothers couldn’t both make it. I guess their hatred for each other is greater than their hatred for the Tziyoinuuuuum.
I was there, I ran in to a few goyim on the street & on the train, they all had huge respect and understood the cause very well. it was a big Kidush Hashem.
Look I did not go as my Roshei Yeshiva did not say to.
However I will point out.
First of all Satmar actually does not take any money from the Isreali Government.
Secondly to state this “machh” was a CH means that you are in disagreement with Hundreds of Gedolei Rabbonim.
Even the letters from GY stating not to go did not say it was a chillul hashem, they stated that sitting and learning would be more beneficial.
1. Let them be repulsed! The agreement was that if you are learning in yeshiva, you didn’t have to serve. Its simple. Its not an entire population as you want people to think. There are MANY shomray torah u’mitzvos serving in the IDF despite what the treifa m’dina govt would admit to. I have quite frum relatives (chasidish too!!) serving BECAUSE they weren’t “cut out” for yeshiva typw learning.
Here in the USA, our armed forces are completely on a volunteer basis which is just fine with me.
Don’t forget, the people not serving are the ones to pump money into the economy due to their shopping for food etc.
Don’t blame the shomray torah u’mitzvos for how the non shomray torah u’mitzvos m’dina was formed!
Of course we will never see that this was more a protest against the status quo of service, than against the m’dina itself.
Of course we will never see that this was more a protest against the CHANGE of status quo of service, than against the m’dina itself.
Keep in mind that the Mizrachi had no problem holding public demonstrations against the Israeli government decision to evacuate the settlements of Gush Katif. Those very public demonstrations were held in cities throughout the US and Canada. They even evoked holocaust imagery by having children hold their hands up mimicing the iconic Warsaw ghetto image. All those that war orange in protest at the Gush Katif evacuations should think twice before yelling Chillul Hashem. Bottom line all publicly demonstrate on issues that are dear to them.
Whats missing is a photo of the kever of the Rav Yolish, z’tl, showing his neshama doing a 360 degree turn….while clearly no big fan of the medinah, he never would have supported such a bushah and bitul torah. He had more common sense than either of these two hateful and spiteful brothers…the coverage of the event on tonight’s local news shows only affirms the worst stereotypes that most Americans already have of Chareidim
i was there it was the most beutiful thing ive ever seen a masive kidush hashem
I am thankful I didn’t go to this event!
If you are not a satmar bachur don’t go!!!
This is such a chillul Hashem to the entire world!
Rav Shteinman said not to go!
I was at the Asifa. i find it very interesting that from a few pictures that people can judge 20,000 people among them Talmidei Chachomim and Marbitzei Torah as making a chilul Hashem and having a fun day in Manhattan. It was a Kiddush Hashem! all were respectful. There was no radicalism going on. It was all about Akiras Hadaas and the attacks on the Oilam Hatorah! if that bothers some people then you should be viewing other sites that suit your needs. Even in the US during war times and there was a draft there were deferments for Yeshiva students. the Tzava in Israel is NOT for Bnei Torah and all who really know whats going on know this. This an attack on Yiddishkeit and the very essence of Yahadus Hachreidus! lets see this for what it is! there were plenty of Livishe people there as well. all well behaved. Satmar has what to be proud of in terms of keeping this asifa peaceful and full of toichen.
“It depends who you are if are a ben torah like a Jew has to be then it is a kidush hashem”
Not so at all, my friend.
No one is obligated to spill their blood for your safety, if you dont want to spill your blood for theirs.
Perhaps Israel should have no army at all and rely solely on Bitachon?
As long as the army offers accomodation for religious practice, this is sadly very selfish and senseless of those demonstrating, and makes them all come off looking like the duller crayons in the box. There are many very Charedi individuals serving in the army.
Here is the good news:
Last week’s Celebrate Israel parade had over 30,000 participants and hundreds of thousands of spectators.
Today’s Puerto Rico Day parade was even bigger.
Anti-Zionist extremists lose. Hopefully the non-Jewish media gave this the attention it deserves: None.
The fact that the ‘living, breathing Chillulei Hashem’ here are calling this protest demonstration (out of all the rallies!) a Chillul Hashem, should about say it all.
Whether one should have attended is conjecture. But all the fools who have been seduced into believing that these demonstrations are counter-productive are giving the goyim less credit than they deserve.
Anyone who has been round the block, knows the goyim have far more nuance than frum (useful) idiots imagine. All that is needed is one or two articulators for impact (often to the chagrin of the media themselves.)
Nu shoin. Breaking news. Satmar & Co. hate Israel.
As a result Netanyahu and Lapid are sobbing with fear. Bennett is paralyzed by the news. The six million Jews of Israel are preparing to emigrate to the goldene golus of Hungary. The IDF is dismantling itself. No one dreams of requiring anyone to be drafted anymore …
Mark Levin! Are you serious? They spend money shopping? Where do they get the money to shop if not from the government(at least partially)?
Secondly, the real Chareidim do not serve and do not want to do so in the future-that’s the whole point of the hafganah.
it was a “huge” kiddush hashem
even without lakewood…..
#27
All and any unwilling to serve under the present circumstances should go home.
The country would be better served without them.
If all the scum and the females leave posthaste , there will be more Charedi individuals serving
“As long as the army offers accomodation for religious practice”,
Sorry ,yes you have to accomodate religious practice or you should close shop.
If the Israeli government attempts to conscript anti-zionist hareidim, who are clearly conscientious objectors under international standards, have no reservation about hurting the state or even jeapordizing its existence, and already have strong international connections THE ISRAELIS WILL BE PICKING A FIGHT THEY WILL LOST. The many western groups that are already antagonistic to zionistm will be significantly strengthened. Israel will suffer a possibly fatal public relations fiasco. How can a place that appeals to sympathy as a Jewish state be one that actively persecutes people for people too Jewish.
But if the Israelis decide to exempt the anti-zionist hareidim, the many who have been happy to allied with the zionists will also ask to be exempt. If if the anti-zionists engage in open resistance, few non-zionist hareidim will be willing to cooperate with the zionists.
Bottom line: DId Neturei Karta or Satmar contribute money to Lapid and Bennett – as it seems that the Lapid/Bennett “axis of evil” has done more to enhance the credibility of the anti-zionists than anything in the last 90 years.
i was there and i can say as a mater of fact there was more than 60,000 people there
charliehall says:
Perhaps Israel should have no army at all and rely solely on Bitachon?
please see
t’hilim 127
אם יי לא לשמר עיר שוא שקד שומר
and explain what is the value of a military with out hashem
To ALL screaming Chillul Hashem!
When was the last time that you learned Hilchos Chilul Hashem? Do you even know where to search for its Halochos……?
I’m trying to determine what is “anti israel” about todays gathering?
#36(Joe), why not 250,000? Maybe, 400,000?
Your right chalil. If everyone would be learning Torah and have the proper amount of betachon we wouldn’t need an army. But knowing how you were asking that question rhetorically I’m going to guess that you don’t agree with me and you are lacking in proper emunah…. Oh well, everyone has what to work on.
To Akuperma….these kollel yungerliet are NOT legitimate conscientious objectors since they have also refused to perform alternative forms of public service such as jobs in cleaning and maintaining their own mosdos, working in hospital or schools or other public service functions. Instead they say that someone else should serve in the IDF an do all those other jobs while they just sit in yeshivos contributing nothing to the tzibur.
אם יי לא לשמר עיר שוא שקד שומר
and explain what is the value of a military with out hashem
Who is saying otherwise?
Please tell me when in our Biblical history a war was fought without an army?
Its just that the People of todays rally feel theyre more worthy of life than the worthless unholy Chilonim, so they should not be drafted. Nice.
Dear Am Yisroel
Beeing older helps you to have more perspective in life.In 1948 we were all ready to fight…finally Eretz Yisroel our dream comes partially true Jidden among Jidden
Than we started to lose the Neshomoh from our children Koichi Veoitzi Joddi slowly slowly who needs H. we can make it…We started to change upbringing to save our children the very focus of our coming to EY.We builded more and more Yeshivoss for our children, worked in Kiruw.
No we did not stop serving the country HAZOLOH is made from frumme Jidden only ready to save you where and when ever, Zakkah is made from frumme Jidden ready to fly where ever needed.There are so many GEMACHIM for all our needs.We are starting now to take care of not only the neshomess of our children but their Guf too building Parnosso centers…yes we will get there but if on our journey we lose our children, why on earth did we come??
Mr Scharansky I want to remind you i remember when your wife started covering her hair in your Zchuss we all davened for your liberation when you were liberated you had a tehillim in your hand they wanted to take it from you, you throw yourself on the floor and said NOT WITHOUT MY TEHILLIM and you kept it, now you want to accomodate the Woman for the wall is it the same you?
1 million Yidden should be protesting and saying this is not the land we davened for Where is the biggest gay parade in the world taking place? In Eretz Yisroel!!There are limits to our patience last weeks Parsha was so appropriate…but know H. no matter what we will not stray
Akuperma
I’ve corrected you on this about a half dozen times now, but anti-Zionist Chareidim are certainly not conscientious objectors under “international standards” so long as they do not oppose war as a matter of principle, which they do not.
This protest shows that there is unity by klal yisroel all types of shomray torah no difference if you are chasidish, litvish, benie torah, from Brooklyn, Lakewood, Monsey, Monroe, even from eretz yisroel. It was rebbes, roshay yeshivos, rabbayim from all types, what an achdus it was. But when it comes to k’void shomayim we all get together to make a kidish hashem, and what a kidush hashem it was.
Could those guys, who were wasting time from learning (if they really do that), actually read the signs they were holding?
YWN you are so one sided and hypocrytocal. The event was not anti israel it was anti the draft of bnei torah. Most litvish roshei yeshiva were behind it, and many were on the dais. For some reason you only post a big picture of a few people making a show outside. What about the thousands of bnei torah attending? YOU are the chillul hashem, not yesterdays event.
Moderators Note: We just double checked. The article itself has crowd shots, as well as the dais. Additionally, more than 300 photos of the crowd and the Dais have been added in the photo gallery. The NYPD tells YWN that the permit was pulled Satmar.
If these demos increase terror, violence and attacks against FRUM SOLDIERS – or any soldiers (as reported above)…..the chet is in the hands of the participants and speakers.
chalilavchas says:
“Please tell me when in our Biblical history a war was fought without an army?”
Did you ever learn t’nach the story of sisro and the story of cheskiyashu hamelech how hashem generated fear in the enemies army and they ran away without the Jews ever chasing them? if not please do so.
The Anti-Zionist Chareidim in fact DO opposed ALL wars in Israel in general, and have opposed them since 1948. They are certainly consistent and clearly “conscientious objectors” under any international standard.
#50- Did you ever learn Tanach at all? If not, please do so. Of course HKB”H brought about victories in wars, but Shaul, Dovid, Shlomo etc, all had armies through which those victories came about.
This was a 90 percent plus Satmar event from the organization, administration, funding, permits and security. Yes, they did elicit token participation from several other chassidus to create the fiction that this was a narrowly targeted demonsrtration against the implementation of the government’s policy on draft deferrals. Anyone listening to the speeches, however, knows that the demonstration was a blanket hatefest against medinas yisroel and its leadership based on the big lie that they are trying to destroy yiddeeshkeit and turn all bnai torah into goyim. Fortunately, the tzibur overwhelmingly rejects the lies spread by the Satmar and understand the real facts.
Among the roshei yeshiva attending (I don’t know all) were r’ aharon shechter and yeshivas chaim berlin, r’ eli ber vachtfogel and the entire yeshiva south fallsburg, r’ osher kalmonovitz, yeshivas mir, r’ shlomo feivel shustal, torah temima, r’ elya chaim swerdloff and the patterson yeshiva, most of bais hatalmud, of bensenhurst, yeshiva keren hatorah (R’ eli yagod) lakewood, ohel torah monsey (r’ rosengarten) r’ eli meir sortzkin, springfield yeshiva, r’ yitzchok sorotskin, r’ mordechai dick, and his yeshiva, r’ yaakov kokis and his yeshiva, r’ sholom zimmerman, r’ yosef rosenblum’s yeshiva sharei yosher, R’ moshe shimon shapiro yam hatalmud, r’ yakkov haorowitz bais meir, r’ moshe wolfson torah vodaas,r’ yehoshua krupenia lakewood, and the list goes on.
Gadolhadorah, while I understand the Chilonim’s ta’anos, you are not allowed to say that the learning people contribute nothing to society — that’s apikorsus.
Yediot Achronot is a Zionist left-wing media outlet. They surely cannot be described as right-leaning. And they are reporting that the protest had 100,000 protesters including 2,000 rabbis and was covered by 300 NYPD Officers.
I don’t know if this is permitted here, but if it is, here is the YNet article stating there were 100,000 protesters yesterday:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4390353,00.html
Yanky55 says:
Shaul, Dovid, Shlomo etc, all had armies through which those victories came about.
Sorry to let you know but Shlomo had no wars while he was a melech, and Dovid won the war of Shaul with the plishtim when he was a small boy and all he had was a few small stones and a slink shot while the plishtim had golyas who was a gaint of over 12 feet tall equipped with full heavy metal army gear over his entire body. If it was not hashem making the nes of winning please explain how can a smal boy win such a big giant?
It’s scary! YWN has such an agenda!