Gilad Kleiner, the man who praised the fatal stabbing attack at the Jerusalem toeiva parade perpetrated by Yishai Schlisel, was indicted for his Facebook postings praising and supporting Schlisel’s murderous act. Kleiner was recently arrested and released twice for his Facebook postings praising the actions of Schlisel, which claimed the life of 16-year-old Shira Banki A”H who was near the parade but not even a member of the toeiva community.
An indictment was handed down against Kleiner on Sunday, 24 Menachem Av in the Ashdod Magistrate Court.
Kleiner was arrested, questioned and then released on bail with restrictions, which included staying away from Facebook. A short few days later he continued posting to Facebook, praising Schlisel’s actions, leading to his arrest a second time. Despite police demands to hold him without bail a court decided to release him on bail.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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10 Responses
It is the Police Department’s job to maintain order which arguably includes arresting those who incite the opposite. It is the Justice Department’s job to uphold the tenants of Democracy. Seems the system works well.
To #1:
Not really. The Police Department carry the blame for releasing him from prison a few days before the parade, when he was originally jailed for the same crime. And now the Justice Department is trying to cover up for the government’s mistake by silencing free speech. The Israeli government is a disaster for Judaism and for Democracy.
We have seen too many episodes where the courts released depraved and crazy individuals who go on to directly or indirectly cause the deaths of additional innocent victims in the name of “due process”. This Kleiner who seeks to legitimize cold-blooded murder of innocents should be locked away under terrorism laws since he violated the court’s order.
The government of Yerushalayim should have never allowed the march due the religious sensitivities of the majority of the citizens that the government represents. The fact that the municipality and local Yerushalayim gave a permit for this parade to occur is completely irresponsible and an act of true government negligence.
This has nothing to do with Israeli laws of freedom of speech. Not permitting a parade like this in Yerushalayim would not be a blocking of freedom of speech but rather government working on behalf the body politic they represent. That is the basic function of all government. In Yerushalayim, the vast majority of the citizens both Jewish and non Jewish (Christians and Muslims) are strongly against this “lifestyle”. If the government were properly doing their job and working for the people who elected them, none of this would have occurred.
Would it be “free speech” to post on Facebook, “Hitler (Y’S) was Right” with a photo from the Shoah in the background???….Is it ever free speech to encourage or applaud the slaughter of innocents??
Maybe they can arrest abbas for praising all the terrorists
Why the police didn’t prevent Schlisel from his act: They knew he would do it again and they were expecting him to do it. They looked away to provide the public media a (false) basis to incite against Hareidim.
Since the police are so diligent on suppressing incitement, let’s see them arrest Abu Mazen and jail him for deadly incitement. Since this is not forthcoming, do you see an agenda?
Yes gadolah hatorah, that is the definition of free speech.
To state the obvious, freedom of speech is not an absolute freedom. Every society places numerous limits on the freedom of speech. In Israel, incitement to violence is one such limit. The position of the AG’s office seems to be that Kleiner’s post was incitement to violence. It seems a stretch to me and in happier times and with a different person the police would certainly have chosen to ignore the post. But with the recent alarming rise in Jewish right wing and religiously motivated violence and given Gilad Kleiner’s long history of inflammatory speech they have decided to crack down. Lemaan yiru veyirau. And good for them.
The zionist state has always, throughout its bloodied history, been an oppressive state. Its greatest oppression has “traditionally” been reserved for the frum Torah population.