The battle surrounding the growing chareidi presence in Yerushalayim’s Kiryat Yovel neighborhood is now once again focusing on the eruv, and the matter is headed for court. Many believed the relative quiet over recent weeks was a good sign, but it now appears the quiet may have been the quiet before the storm and the anti-chareidi elements have been working diligently behind the scene preparing their next legal challenge to the growing frum community.
The secular activists whom have been spearheading the battle against the mehadrin eruv are now signaling the days of protests may be on hold, as they prepare for a legal battle. The suit appears to target Jerusalem City Hall.
About six weeks ago, police summoned eight secular activists from the area, some being members of the organization leading the anti-chareidi battle. They were questioned for their alleged part in downing a portion of the mehadrin eruv, taking the law into their own hands. They also resorted to violence when some were detected by chareidi residents as they were engaged in destroying the eruv. The city has since removed 80 mehadrin eruv poles, which City Hall explains were placed without permission and the “pirate poles” were therefore taken away. Mayor Nir Barkat has been seeking to promote dialogue, explaining he will not permit “extremists’ from either side to take the law into their own hands.
Officials affiliated with the city’s mehadrin eruv project admit it is most unlikely to find a court exhibiting sympathy towards the mehadrin eruv, and they fear the progress made that led to some agreement with City Hall will be lost as well if a court contradicts such agreements in its ruling.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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One Response
the chilonim (secular) want to be able to be m’chalel shabbos l’mehedrin. The eruv would meant that if they carried on shabbos they would not be over on carrying.
there may be logic to this!