There is an ongoing situation developing between American parents and the Interior Ministry in Israel. What began on Friday is now getting more tense by the minute.
There are unfortunately students in Yerushalayim who are thoroughly traumatized by the loss of their roommates and close friends. There is understandable shock and pain. Chavrusos have been lost. Yeshivas have been thrown into turmoil. Many of these young adults are suffering a deep traumatic loss and need help.
Despite the severe anguish and trauma, the Israeli Government is adamantly refusing to allow entry of parents of these students into the country.
How can the Jewish State, known throughout the world as the most compassionate and empathetic to any country suffering a natural disaster, be so cruel and heartless to Jewish families suffering such intense loss? The same Israel that allowed hundreds of thousands of people to pack into Meron – with no idea as to who was vaccinated or has antibodies – now refuses to allow parents to be with their children who are suffering psychological trauma. Why can’t the parents of those who lost immediate friends and roommates be allowed to enter in addition to the first degree relatives who were allowed in for funerals?
It is no secret that in a mere two weeks the Israeli government will be allowing entire groups to enter Israel. We call on the Israeli government to grant exceptions to these parents on compassionate grounds.
This has been an extremely stressful moment for the entire Jewish nation. There is a place for rules and regulations. We fully agree. There is also a time to make exceptions. This is one such case. Israel must reconsider.
Jewish children are in severe pain. Yes, professionals are assisting them in dealing with their trauma but these young adults need their parents now.
Rabbi Nechemia Malinowitz of the Igud of Yeshivas and Seminaries gave the following statement to YWN:
“While I understand that they aren’t allowing in foreigners, relatives of Israelis are being let in. At this time of צרת אחים, I think they should also be letting in all parents of visa holders too. And if this isn’t possible, they should be letting in people that truly need their parents at this sad time. These are young adults, and we are talking about a terrible trauma. I believe that the country has the responsibility to allow the victims of this horrible event, to get proper care. Allowing in their parents is the right thing to do at this time.”
The Chaim V’chesed organization has informed YWN that they have been contacted by family members since early Friday morning with relatives and children in Israel who were affected in all sorts of ways by the Meron tragedy. “Many children, students, and family members need urgent family support. It would be a basic humanitarian gesture to allow those family members into Israel.”
Sources inform YWN that an intense pressure campaign is being launched should the situation not be resolved immediately with the inclusion of multiple U.S. Congressmen, Senators, and State Department officials. Indeed, many local elected officials have already been contacted and will be a part of a public campaign calling out the Israeli Authorities for not granting these permits on humanitarian grounds.
Stay tuned to YWN for further developments.
[MERON VICTIMS: 24 Bochurim And Boys, 4 Mir Talmidim, At Least 6 US Citizens, 2 Canadians]
[HEARTBREAKING: List Of Niftarim R”L Killed In Meron Crush Released]
[How Exactly Did The Terrible Disaster At Meron Occur?]
[Father’s Heartrending Hesped For His Son: “You’re Now In Rebbe Shimon’s Yeshiva”]
[WATCH: 10-Yr.-Old Meron Survivor: “I Cried Out Shema Yisrael”]
[“People Were Crushed To Death Before My Eyes” – Survivors Of The Harrowing Scenes Talk]
[Chareidi Reporter Warned Of This Very Tragedy In 2018!]
[State Comptroller Says He’s Launching Probe Of Meron Disaster]
[The Chilling Letter A Meron Victim Left Before His Death]
[Last Meron Victim Is Buried After His Parents Arrive From Argentina]
[HEARTBREAKING IMAGE: Child Of Meron Victim Makes Toy Representing His Father Z”L]
[11-Year-Old Seriously Injured At Meron Is Released From The Hospital]
[CHILLING: Look What Was Found Inside Siddur Of Victim Of Meron Tragedy]
[Journalist Published Eye-Witness Reports Which May Explain How The Trampling in Meron Began]
[Meron Victims: Elhadad Brothers, 12 & 18, Buried Next To Rashbi]
[One Of The Meron Victims Was MK Eichler’s Brother-In-Law]
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39 Responses
Last time I checked airplanes worked the other way across the Atlantic too. Let the parents fly their young adults back to their home and their safe spaces for a few days until they feel better. It truly boggles my mind that this is a real issue.
Please stop calling it a “Jewish” State, “Jewish” refers to the Am Yisroel which is the am hatorah. This is the Zionist State.. Thanks
I agree
But the problem is that every single parent/brother/sister/uncle will want to be allowed entry claiming that their relative is “traumatized”
I can understand their reluctance.
While I sympathize with those affected by the tragedy, the fact is that there is a virus going on, and Israel has these laws for a reason. Shouldn’t we do all we can to prevent more death, Chas Veshalom?
Clearly, any of the comments before mine have no children who are literally traumatized and seeing professionals in Israel since Friday around the clock.
Shame on you all.
Everyone has antibodies and everyone is vaccinated, Cut the garbage,. This is disgusting.
They should go home instead of their parents coming to them
The virus will be an excuse for more restrictions . There is no reason for this .the state hate the frum people , not new , so this is how they behave . Anyone who will say , don’t let people in because of a virus is watching too much nonsense from the mainstream media. Enough is enough !!
How were the US tourists in Israel to visit Meron, if Israel isn’t allowing Americans in?
Anyone think that maybe prof advice is saying dont take your kid out of his routine..dont take him from structure..dont take him away from his friends…or ppl on ywn are also therapists? Always thinking they know better..
Covid is over in Israel but antisemitism and self hatred is rampant!
Um…going home means they are probably not coming back. The end of what is a growth spurt learning in EY. It is basics to give permission for those hurting to have their parents come and give them a reassurance and love and warmth. If you were a parent and your child was in EY suffering and distraught you wouldnt be making such na’areshe suggestions such as tell him to fly home…
lol ywn is calling on israel, YWN has
less political clout then the prime minister of belgium,
To Ami and rebitizn I think you’re wrong on this one. These bochrim are there to learn coming home is not right in middle of the zeman. they need support from a parent and the parents should be allowed to go.
Nechemia, why cant the parents bring their kids home? Its not like the US has a shortage of unqualified therapists.
This would be better for the kids.
It seems some have a need to be outraged after what happened.
It is obvious that everyone can come home. But still, we need to blame someone, we need to channel our anger somewhere.
This has nothing to do with hating frum people. If the overseas parents of any student legally learning here wish to come and visit their children of course it is reasonable to allow them in on the basis that they self isolate when they arrive unless they have genuine proof of two vaccinations or recovery from COVID with a genuine antibody test to prove that. The vaccination certificate and antibody test should be countersigned by an Israeli Consulate in the USA. Why the caution – simple. Most Haredim in Israel know of some to numerous people who have been in Israel in the last few months with forged papers. We don’t need to bury our heads in the sand. Alternatively, as lots of people have suggested, let those who need trauma care fly home away from the atmosphere of trauma. They can then spend some weeks at home not have their parents around for a few days.
They had no problem letting in hundreds of sport athletes, only when it comes to the frum all of sudden there is a virus despite all vaccination and antibodies.
Unfortunately, Israel has vast experience in trauma care. Israel fully understands that the country has the responsibility to allow the victims of this horrible event to get proper care. That is why such care has been and will continue to be provided. Why are Americans so arrogant and think they are the only people who can give trauma victims the proper care they need, that they are the only ones who know what to do?
To all the Chachomim who say bring the boys home;
I ask you, bring them home and what, let them mope at home? You obviously have no idea how to deal with trauma! You help them along as they try to get back and recover, not transplant them away, and just add to the heartbreak.
“How can the Jewish State, known throughout the world as the most compassionate and empathetic to any country suffering a natural disaster, be so cruel and heartless to Jewish families suffering such intense loss?”
Perhaps now the Jewish world sees clearly, as Rav Aharon Feldman said at the recent Agudah convention, how we do NOT want to have to depend on the Zionists and how so terribly wrong it was to have joined the Zionists in voting in the WZO last year, which immediately preceded the Corona outbreak.
Eileh elohecha Yisrael!
The State of Israel is a Zionist State, not a Jewish State.
Stop with this Big Lie!
The evil Zionists are compassionate to achzarim, not to rachmanim (Jews). We have seen countless examples of this over just this past Corona period.
Stop flattering rishaim! Tell the rishaim, instead, that they, the Zionist rishaim, have (long ago) gone (way) too far. Now, Jews worldwide will stop sending their children to learn and live in their Zionist paradise and will clearly tell the world that the Zionists never have, do not currently, and never will, represent Jews and Judaism, and that the Zionists are the greatest political (and religious) fraud in world history.
Once this idol disappears from Klal Yisrael, there should be nothing more preventing Mashiach from immediately appearing.
I felt something growing but I wasn’t sure what it was. Thank you for letting me know it was outrage.
I feel it growing and growing.
Ferd, fly you Tzadik or Tzadekis home. If they are so traumatized, and I truly believe that they are, the best place for them is in the comfort of familiar surroundings.
Chance, I don’t want you here because you aren’t vaccinated. Stay wherever you are
Maybe if so many people (unfortunately I believe mostly heimish) hadn’t forged so many documents, it would be different. I could unfortunately see people actually forging death certificates in order to get in. Nebach.
Feel free not to post this message since I don’t like disagreeing in public. But I humbly disagree. We definitely don’t want to cause more people to die. I think they can go home to America.
So, these children somehow got to a dangerous situation either with encouragement of their teachers or at least not being prevented. Now, you are saying the traumatized children should stay in the same institutions that contributed to them being in danger and their haverim niftar or in hospitals. Maybe, parents need to bring them home and find a better way to teach their children Torah.
Israel is a Jewish country, and it is a Jewish state, Zionists are Jews!
And we no longer live in pre-war Europe, so it’s long overdue to adjust your understanding of Zionism to 2020. There are many types of zionism, zionism has evolved, and the way things turned out in hindsight is very different from what the pre-war rabbis worried about.
But regardless, secular zionists are not running Israel anymore. It is apparent that Israel is not run by people who care for Israel or the Jewish people. We have a whole new globalist police state here, and it has nothing to do with any kind of zionism at all.
Kudos YWN for helping to bring out the Sinas Yisrael our people have for one another. There were just but a few forged documents yet the comments above make one think that all or most Chareidim had forged documents. It’s YWN’s way of keeping Mashiach at bay!
BaltimoreMaven:
Maybe if the Zionists hadn’t invaded a century ago and now made entry to the holy land so difficult, then perhaps those people wouldn’t have resorted to such things.
Let the religious parties simply tell Netanyahu that they are not going to negotiate any coalition with him, until he lets in all immediate families of the deceased & injured. Netanyahu desperately needs his coalition by this Tuesday, so religious party must take advantage of this.
Meanwhile it may also be time for all charity donors to UJA & other similar charities to suspend all donations {Money speaks} until Israel reopens borders to we vaccinated negative testing Jews. Way safer than to even non-vaccinated athletes from 70 countries.
As horrible as this situation is, you can either follow the rules or don’t come. It’s really that simple.
Jerusalem observer – It’s called “American Exceptionalism”. I only noticed it after I made Aliyah. It’s gross.
“compassionate Jewish State”. The irony is lost on all of us. They’re murderers. They deliberately closed off the main exit and people got crushed. I don’t care if they couldn’t handle the throngs of people coming in. A third-world country knows to never block an exit. This is an outrage ad lev hashamayim! Now you want these so-called “compassionate” murderers to care about your traumatized kid. Guess what? They couldn’t be damned. If only their true colors are seen by the world then something good has come out of this horrific tragedy.
You can’t be real to be such an ACHZOR.
Jerusalem Observer:
Americans, and indeed, all normal (i.e. non-communist) people know best what their children need, even better than all the Zionist “experts”.
ZSK:
American exceptionalism happens to be real, not gross. Until recently, when there has been a concerted effort to change the USA to just another socialist European-style country (or worse), the USA was (and still is) unique in many ideals and mores.
Torah Judaism has B”H flourished in the USA and, based on our mesorah from Rav Chaim Ozer, it will continue to do so until Mashiach comes to end the galus BB”A.
You immigrated to a 3rd-world government that takes credit for the work of the many smart Jews who live and work there. But, as we have seen countless times in just the past Corona period, the Zionists are both evil and also inept at even standard governmental functions (and can’t even form a government after trying already a handful of times or so).
Just for example: to where do Israelis (and others) fly when R”L L”A they need specialized medical care? The USA. By contrast, which country until recently (due to MP Rabbi Litzman’s work to make it happen) didn’t even cover dental care in their socialized medical insurance? Israel. There is much more, but the point is clear.
Hakatan: if it weren’t for people with your attitude, my brothers friends would be alive today.
The so called Zionists (really Israelis) tried rebuilding the complex and making itsafe multiple times, only to be met with huge machahs by certain people. Had the Israelis done so, the tragedy would not have happened. Everyone warned about it, but the issue of working with the Zionists overrode venishmartem meod. Every group that opposed the complex being handed over to the Israelis a few years ago to improve safety standards shed this blood.
Hakatan, also Corona was more likely caused by the loud bizuy talmud chacham of the anti-WZO side. How many posters against R Shmuel Kaminetzky did the anti-WZO side put up? When it comes to going against the Zionists, every aveira becomes muttar.
If not for the fact chareidim are in the WZO, not a single parent not student would have been able to get into Israel at all.
HaKatan:
You’re a living example of what I said. Get a clue.
Yeshivishrockstar :
I am sorry to hear about the loss of your brother’s friends.
Now, regarding the rest of your post.
I don’t know what the Zionists did or did not offer to do there, nor do I know what their conditions for doing so were or would have been.
However, regardless of that, the Torah tells us to have as little as possible to do with reshaim, even for a mitzva. The Satmar Rav discusses this in multiple places, as do many other gedolim. All the more so when dealing with the Zionists, whose very purpose is to uproot Torah CH”V.
But this is anyways irrelevant because the Zionists, whose police officers were there, should have ensured the safety of all those assembled. Period. What should have been or could have been if they had renovated is irrelevant.
Yeshivishrockstar:
Regarding Corona and Rabbi Kaminetsky, I did not see any posters against him. I did, however, see many mailings encouraging and even requiring Jews to literally become Zionists and join the WZO, which Rabbi Aharon Feldman called a great Chilul Hashem.
So when you compare, on the one hand, shuls and yeshivos telling their parents/members to literally become idolaters and be kofer baIkar in joining the WZO, and over 20,000 Jews who were fooled by “Eretz HaKodesh” into doing exactly that, versus, on the other hand, some alleged posters against Rabbi Kamenetsky for promoting the same, it seems pretty obvious which one is the greater chillul Hashem – by far.