[PHOTO LINK BELOW] Security was heavy for the presidential visit in Bnei Brak on Wednesday, as President Shimon Peres arrived in the community for an official visit, escorted by the mayor and other local notables.
The visit included a stop in Ponovezh Yeshiva, where the president addressed the tzibur, but not everyone was pleased and early Wednesday morning, pashkavilim condemning the visit, stating the secular president is unwelcome were seen around the community. The sharp language used in the notices portray the chareidi community in a bad light.
Because of the large crowd, despite the formidable presence of Shin Bet security and elite police units, with some agents dressed in chareidi garb, the president cut his visit to the yeshiva short, possibly due to security considerations as well. Hundreds of area residents arrived at the yeshiva for a glimpse of the event.
As the president made his way to Maran Rosh HaYeshiva, Yassam troops were on hand, and they had to distance tens of protestors near the home of Maran HaGaon HaRav Shteinman Shlita. A number of rocks were thrown. Baruch Hashem there were no injuries.
Accompanying the president at the Gadol Hador’s home was MK R’ Moshe Gafne. Gafne told the press that Maran R’ Shteinman instructed the chareidi party to leave the coalition if the compromise put forward regarding the Yisrael Beitenu giyur bill is not accepted.
Click on the following link for photos: http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/photos.php?albumid=5446992476494324241
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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7 Responses
Something CAN BE DONE about, “The sharp language used in the notices portray the chareidi community in a bad light.” Just like in the demonstrations in Yerushalayim, fires etc.the locals AND THE COMMUNITY LEADERS know who is behind it…and they are not representative of either the charedi community or the gedolim. We can avoid chilul hashem by “outing” these frauds with their own agenda as well as encouraging GEDOLIM to speak out against it publicly. Despite what President Peres is and what he represents he was paying a respectful courtesy visit to a widely recognized godol. The frum community must eliminate the pinheads who are undermining our cause and credibility. They also make it seem (cholela) that the gedolim don’t speak for the community,
I think the chareidi Gedolim really need to create a course in how to effectively protest in a Torah-dige way.
I’m very sorry to say it, but substitute the black hat for a kefiyeh and what’s the difference in behavior at demonstrations between many charaidim and the yishmaelim?!?
Back in “my day” I attended MANY, MANY serious protests, that, I might add, WERE EFFECTIVE in ultimately accomplishing our goals, but we never set cars or garbage bins on fire, or did damage to the property or person of innocent people.
My brothers have to learn to ask themselves, will what I am doing make HaSh-m happy or upset? Would my Rosh Yeshiva do what I am doing, or would he frown upon it? Don’t always do what “everybody else is doing.”
Many times “everybody else” is WRONG.
Just ask Avraham Aveenu, the Ivri.
1) True story – A controversial person once came to one of the big name Yeshivas in Jerusalem about 20 years ago. When some of the talmidim saw him they kicked him out of the Yeshivah. Later, one of the Roshei Yeshivas heard about the incident and was visibly shaken and gave shtark tochacha to his talmidim that were involved. He cried out, “HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT HE DIDN’T COME HERE TO DO TESHUVA?! MAYBE HE HAD A HISORIRUS TO DO TESHUVAH AND YOU STOLE THAT FROM HIM!!!” I saw this first hand.
Shimon Peres was given a bracha for arichus yamim from the Chofetz Chaim. He had grown up as a chedar boy. Whose to say that he might have done teshuvah because of his visit. Perhaps these boys/men that took thinks into their own hands prevented him from doing so.
2) Is Shimon Peres worse than Ben-Gurion who visited the Chazon Ish without such confrontation?
2)
Just to add, here’s a quote on wiki about him:
Peres’s grandfather, Rabbi Zvi Meltzer, a grandson of Rabbi Chaim Volozhin, had a great impact on his life. In an interview, Peres said: “As a child, I grew up in my grandfather’s home… I was educated by him… my grandfather taught me Talmud. It was not as easy as it sounds. My home was not an observant one. My parents were not Orthodox but I was Haredi. At one point, I heard my parents listening to the radio on the Sabbath and I smashed it.”
Kinda makes you think twice!
“Pashkavilim & Rocks Thrown”. Who threw the Pashkavilim?
When Ben Gurion visited the Chazon Ish – where were the rock throwers then?
Would the Chazon Ish stand for such behavior? I think not.
Once again extremists acting out and bringing us ALL DOWN WITH THEM. Its a huge chillul Hashem every time they violently protest. Peres went to meet the Roshei Yeshiva. I think that says something about him. His heart is in the right place I haven’t given up on him. He knows the emes. On the other hand throwing rocks says something about the rock throwers as well…
Rasha lamah sackeh reyecha.
There I said it. They are Reshaim and its the Torah who calls them Reshaim. They are todays Dasan Veavirams.