In a third recently-publicized attack against a chareidi, a driver cursed and shouted “kill the dossim”, a slang used to refer to chareidim in a negative light.
This latest incident occurred on Sunday night 30 Nissan when a ben torah boarding a 417 bus from Jerusalem to Beit Shemesh became the latest victim of anti-Chareidism when assaulted by the driver of the Egged bus. The boarding talmid yeshiva was heading back to his yeshiva. The driver refused to accept his ticket, calling him a thief.
The victim was interviewed by Chadrei Chareidim and is quoted saying “the ticket was valid and definitely usable but the driver refused to accept it. He called me a thief and all of this took place while he drove towards Beit Shemesh”.
The talmid, Shlomo, is quoted adding that when they arrived in Beit Shemesh the driver opened the door and requested that he get off the bus. “I told him I cannot get out in the middle, a place without a bus stop. The driver then said ‘We must kill all the dossim, disgusting chareidi, all the chareidim are thieves. From my perspective you have not paid’”.
Shlomo explains that he did not get off the bus but continued towards his Beit Shemesh destination while the driver continued to speak ill of chareidim. At Shimshon Junction he explains he felt threatened and decided to get off the bus. “The driver would not let me off and the driver said ‘You are captive in my hands now and you are not getting off’. The driver continued to another stop near Nahar HaYarden Street. He refused to continue, explaining there was a protest there. This was not so. When I tried to get off at the stop near Rashi Jct. the driver intentionally slammed on the brakes. I flew towards the front. The driver then claimed I tried to steal his money. He got out in anger and begin hitting me with his fists. He scratched my face. It hurt a bit. He grabbed my hat from my head and stepped on it repeatedly. It is a new hat that I bought for the new summer zman”.
Shlomo adds that there were about 15 passengers on the bus, some chareidim, who tried to calm the driver but to no avail. “When the driver realized I had summoned police he instructed everyone to get off, telling them another bus would come for them.
“As the chareidim were getting off the driver called to secular appearing people and asked them to verify his version of the events, to be witnesses for him and to tell police I started up with him. They refused. When police arrived he complained that I struck him. Police filed a number of complaints but refused to give me the numbers instructing me to go to the station and file a complaint. Only after pleading did the policeman agree to give me the complaint number”.
Shlomo then explained after police left the driver once again threatened him, saying “What I did to you till now was nothing. I should have smashed you”.
Egged declined comment, explaining the matter is under police investigation.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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8 Responses
But calling police officers Nazi’s and blocking roadways is OK right?
These incidents are just as disgusting as the almost daily videos of some mindless chareidim demonstrating against the latest issue concocted by some rav against the IDF, the Medinah,a parking lot, some business whose majority secular customers want them to stay open on Shabbos, etc.
The bus driver should be terminated and the message sent that you cannot demonize all chareidim since there are some that work hard, earn a parnassah and make a contribution to society.
Thank you, your royal highness Ms. Pompodora for your approval of “some charedim”!
Not sure why those who disregard Hashem’s Torah in his palace don’t offend your royal sensitivities.
To Binyamin:
I’m not sure why you defend this busdriver….get out of your ivory tower and you will see every day that there are hundreds of thousands of Chareidim (both men and women) who work hard to support their families while still living a life of daas torah. The bus driver is reflecting a stereotype of lazy, selfish and crude Charaeidim who are leaches on society. Yes, but that is the minority. Most do have a parnassah and make contributions to society.
crazy
The Beis HaMikdash was destroyed due to Sinat Chinam. Ahavat Chinum is what will rebuild it.
These bus drivers’ actions are based on Sinat Chinum and are dividing Klal Yisrael. Any defense given to them “even passively” is contributing to Sinat Chinum and is destroying the Beit HaMikdash in our days.
It is proper to protest these drivers in this article. Protests to other’s actions that are not directly related to this incident should be reserved for articles related to those incidences, not here.
What is it with Egged bus drivers lately and Chareidim?
Who’s Binyamin and who was defending the bus driver?
I was just pointing out Ms. Pompedora’s mindless comments from her ivory tower comparing the vile acts of this bus driver to the peaceful demonstrations of Charedim. Who are all to often brutally attacked by the Israeli police. I was also criticizing her approval of chilul shabbos in Eretz Yisroel and her being mevazeh those Rabonim with whom her royal highness disagrees. She also disgracefully refers to those Charedim who study Torah full time as “not contributing to society”. Those are the classic words of the Apikores as defined by Chazal “May ahani lun Rabonon” Of what benefit is it for us these Torah scholars?!!