Visitors to the Kolel Polin section of Har Hazeisim made a gruesome discovery today. They found graves so badly destroyed that even the names could not be distinguished. Avrohom Lubinsky, Chairman of the International Committee on Har Hazeisim called this “the most grotesque and vicious destruction of tombstones to date.” He noted that the graves were those of Polish Jews, who were American and British citizens. On June 14, more than a dozen graves were destroyed, but none as vicious as the acts that were committed within the last 72 hours, according to security officials.
Security sources noted that the Kolel Polin section poses security issues because it is in a valley and often hard to detect. All of this despite the fact that 62 surveillance cameras were turned on two weeks ago. Eventually, say security officials, 142 cameras will be on the mountain. But as quickly became apparent, the bad news is that even if the cameras do capture vandals in the act, there is no follow-up by law enforcement. For example, security officials point out that there were more than a half dozen acts of vandalism that were captured by the cameras (excluding the horrific destruction of Thursday). While photos were submitted to the Police, there were no reports of arrests, most likely because the perpetrators were minors and difficult to prosecute. This is why the Committee headed by Mr. Lubinsky is proposing a bill that would provide for mandatory jail sentences even for minors as well as holding parents responsible for vandalism is so crucial. The cameras themselves are not as secure as the Committee originally thought. Security officials told Committee representatives that Arab youths could possibly disable a camera with an accurate hit from a slingshot. The Committee is also lobbying for auxiliary lighting to provide better security on Har Hazeisim at night.
The latest developments, according to Mr. Lubinsky, point to the urgent need for the deployment of a police garrison on Har Hazeisim. He said that he learned that at present only one patrol car is assigned to the entire area of Har Hazeisim and the adjacent Jewish neighborhoods. This has virtually rendered the Police ineffective since they often respond too late to stop vandalism or to apprehend suspects. Mr. Lubinsky said that he intends to raise the issue of police deployment during his upcoming trip to Israel in September. He will also press for the appointment of a high ranking government official who would be responsible for Har Hazeisim since there does not appear to be such a person either in the Prime Minister’s office or in the Cabinet.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
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One Response
Keep sending supplies to the Arabs in Gaza instead of securing the safety around Har Hazetim. Of course that is what the Arabs deserve and they show their Hakoros Hatov every day as they desecrate the Kevorim of our ancestors. Obviously the Israeli government has enough funds to take care of the Arabs but not enough funds to take care of the Jews.