On a day that can only be described as tumultuous for Jews across the globe, Satmar Chassidim, under the leadership of the Satmar Rebbe from Kiryas Yoel (Rav Aron Teitelbaum) staged a major protest in Manhattan, Memorial Day afternoon, against the ongoing excavations in Ashkelon & Jaffa.
Click HERE for photos taken at the protest. All photos & videos taken for YWN by Shimon Gifter.
Many in senior community leadership positions across Klal Yisroel urged the organizers to cancel lest the international community see a fractured and divided Jewish community, but to no avail. The protest went on as planned.
One can only wonder what the ramifications of a major protest condemning Israel by thousands of American Charedi Jews – on the same day that the entire world is condemning Israel will be.
On Tuesday, Satmar Chassidim under the leadership of the Satmar Rebbe from Williamsburg (Rav Zalman Leib Teitelbaum) were scheduled to hold a major protest in Washington D.C. To coincide with the visit of Israeli PM BB Netanyahu. After feverish behind the scenes efforts, the protest in DC was cancelled after the Prime Minister abruptly returned home to monitor escalating events in the Middle East.
Organizers claimed that there were 45,000 people in attendance at the Manhattan protest, but that number was inflated, as the crowd was nothing remotely close to that figure.
The following is the text of the press release regarding the protest in Manhattan:
NEW YORK, NY, May 31, 2010 – A mass demonstration of 50,000 Orthodox Jews is scheduled to take place on Monday, May 31, 4:30 PM, on the streets next to the Israeli consulate at 800 2nd Avenue in Manhattan. (42nd Street & 2nd Avenue)
The demonstrators will protest the ongoing construction by the Israeli government at two ancient Jewish cemeteries, one in Ashkelon and the other in Jaffa.
The demonstration will coincide with the visit to Washington of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is directly involved in the decision to desecrate the cemeteries.
The demonstration is spearheaded by Grand Rabbi Aron Teitelbaum, Grand rabbi of Satmar, and will also protest against the brutal methods employed by the Zionist authorities at the cemeteries against the peaceful religious protestors expressing their deep pain at the government’s shameful acts.
One of the most fundamental tenants of Judaism is “Kavod Hames” the honoring and respect of mortal remains of every Jew. “The government has made the decision to proceed with desecrating these cemeteries, although many alternative suggestions for
the construction have been offered,” said Rabbi Benzion Loeb one of the organizers of the demonstration. “Their complete insensitivity to Judaism and to the feelings of observant Jews stands in stark contrast to the behavior of other countries, whose governments canceled construction plans that has been discovered to have been encroaching upon ancient Jewish cemeteries.
Rabbi Gary Schlesinger explained: Every nation throughout the globe, scrapped plans to build on Jewish cemeteries such as France, Poland, Switzerland, Spain even Germany and respect their deceased to rest in peace, only in Israel with a Zionist government, the deceased don’t have peace.” Said Rabbi Schlesinger.
“It should therefore come as no surprise that such a so-called Jewish state digs up ancient Jewish graves. In fact, the graves they desecrate are those of the very same Talmudic Sages whose guidelines the Zionists reject.”
(AN EARLIER VERSION PREVIOUSLY SENT OUT:)
(PR NewsWire) A large demonstration of anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews is scheduled to take place on Monday, May 31 at 3:30 PM in front of the Israeli Consulate at 800 2nd Avenue in Manhattan. The demonstrators will protest the ongoing construction by the Israeli government over two ancient Jewish cemeteries, one in Ashkelon and the other in Jaffa.
The demonstration will coincide with the visit to Washington of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is directly involved in the decision to desecrate the cemeteries.
The demonstration will also protest against the brutal methods employed by the Zionist authorities against the peaceful religious protestors who come to the construction sites to express their deep pain at the government’s shameful acts.
“The government has made the decision to proceed with desecrating these cemeteries, although many alternative suggestions for the construction have been offered,” said Rabbi Benzion Loab one of the organizers of the demonstration. “Their complete insensitivity to Judaism and to the feelings of observant Jews stands in stark contrast to the behavior of other countries, whose governments often cancel construction plans when they run into old Jewish cemeteries.
“We see the Israeli government’s behavior as only symptomatic of a larger problem. According to the Torah and the Talmudic Sages, ever since the destruction of the Temple 2000 years ago, Jews have been in exile by Divine decree and were forbidden from re-establishing themselves as a nation until the coming of the messiah. The Zionist ideology is thus fundamentally anti-Torah. Not only has Zionism denied the fundamental Jewish belief in Heavenly Redemption; it has created a pseudo-Judaism which replaces the Torah with nationalism.
“It should therefore come as no surprise that such a so-called Jewish state digs up ancient Jewish graves. In fact, the graves they desecrate are those of the very same Talmudic Sages whose guidelines the Zionists reject,” Rabbi Benzion Loab concluded.
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22 Responses
NO saichel! I think Rav Yoel z”l must be turning in his grave.
M’stuma this was not the right time…
To play defense attorney for a moment, the emes is if the State listened to such claims as Satmar makes, then they’d be getting less from the Umos HaOlam. I also personally didn’t hear much about the what Israel was doing until I heard about Satmar’s protests…this (barring obviously the poor timing) should be a Klal Yisrael protest.
More importantly, the world doesn’t like us much anyways, and the wanting for better PR to change the matsav for the State is for naught. If the State chooses to go more in line with the Torah, chooses to take advice from our sages, then Hashem will protect it and all those living there. If they continue to distance themselves from the Hashem, deriding their frum inhabitants, and only look to make friends with the other nations, is it any question the lack of success?
So no it wasn’t the right time but…
DQB
I’m surprised that these young bochrim were pulled out of yeshiva for this. They don’t appear to have any idea what’s going on from the video. Couldn’t they have found adults who know what ithe demo was about and could take off time from work?
It’s probably a non Jewish burial place anyway.
To #3: It’s true that the primary concern is for Jewish Kevarim, however we must show kavod even for goyish kevarim for a very simple reason…
If we don’t, then when goyim in a foreign country want to dig up a Jewish cemetery to build something new, and WE complain and try to stop it, THEY can always say “Hey you did the same thing!”
what a chilul hashem. jews against their own brotherly jews. while the whole entire world yesturday was rioting against israel for support of their palestinian brothers of gaza, these radicals were protesting against their own brothers. shame on them.
on the one hand the timing sends the wrong message, but on the other, that itself makes it so much more effective, and probebly compell the diggers to cooperate…
Look, we all have a job in this wonderfull Klal Yisroel, and that’s their job – to stand up as outsiders to the secularist Jews who run Eretz Hakodesh.
oh and by the way, just to let these satmar radicals know, an artical from haaretz.com was published today saying that they unearthed a pagan altar at the ashkelon site. that proves the graves are not jewish. thank you.
here is the link:
Pagan altar unearthed at Ashkelon hospital construction site
Archeologists say discovery proves hotly contested cemetery at site slated for hospital ER is pagan, not Jewish.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/pagan-altar-unearthed-at-ashkelon-hospital-construction-site-1.291335
Next time they come to your shul “shnorring”, make sure NOT to give them a dime
Do those demonstration begadim need tzitizis?
I am absolutely horrified that frum Jews were protesting against the state of Israel yesterday along with all the Hamas supporters and apologists. Even the rhetoric in the press release is similar to that used by our enemies who are complaining even as I write this about the State of Israel’s treatment of “peaceful protesters” who were not at all peaceful. Aligning with the terrorist apologists will unfortunately make it likely that there will be more Jewish graves to be worried about. I’m so disgusted that I cannot express it all in words.
7 davidatshm,
If you believe “Haaretz.com” over Rav Shmidel – you are a plain fool. And even if they did unearth an idel, what about that grave with the seven candle Menorah on it???
PS – This has nothing to do with the violance at the Hafganas, which of course ir wrong empty and stupid.
Of course the protest must go on, the Israeli’s are uprooting Jewish cemeteries.
An unearthed idel is like finding today a grave with an iPhone with rated “R” movies on it and determening it can’t be Jewish. Those days Jews had Idels, read about it everywhere…
Horrible . . . but a logical consequence of the virulent anti-Zionist, anti-Medina rhetoric that has become so common in certain circles. We tolerate no disagreement, disparaging our fellow Jews, our fellow frum Jews – wrapping ourselves in mantles of self-rightousness. And here its tit for tat – one fellopw saying we shouldn’t give to Satmar “schnorrers” –
Ani Yehudi is something we should all hold dear, and remember that the Yiddishe bond used to mean something deeper than the tribalism of hoshkofa or sect.
Dear Freinds;
I have to tell you yesterday’s demonstration in the city was a real KIDASH HAS’
It was peaceful; it was a real big crowed from 42nd street to about 50th street.
The only it was done protesting against the state of Israel violence of the holy graves of our sages, and I guess all of you would do the same if you would had some feelings to those buried their .
And that they shall stop the brutality against yiden that are demonstrating against their violence and stop putting them in jail instead take does Archlugin .
Also we spelled out the state of Israel has nothing to do with real Jews or the TOHRAH.
So what’s wrong?
Chazok Vamots
Today, there was to be a demonstration in Washington (for the same cause) organized by Satmar Williamsburg.
As soon as the flotilla story broke yesterday, the Rebbe canceled it, specifically because it would appear that we were in agreement with the world-wide condemnation the incident provoked.
During the 6-Day War the Satmarer Rebbe z”l urged all his followers to say tehillim for our fellow yidden in E”Y. It was not a time to be political.
The legitimacy of yesterday’s protest is not being questioned here, but the timing could not have been worse.
Where was the leadership?
By the way, yesterday was Memorial Day and there was nobody working. Buildings were empty; the UN was empty; the Israeli mission was empty; and the streets were mostly empty.
The protest could just have been in Williamsburg or Monroe for all the reaction it got out there!
And the bochurim could have stayed in Yeshiva.
I feel the protest was due, a peacful one.
I would’ve liked though that an English speaker state CLEARLY that they still look at every Jew like a lost brother, and that every attack on any Jew does cause them pain, etc.
This comes up all the time: it’s high time for a joint Aguda-Satmar-Young Israel-Lubavich-Aish etc. etc. public meating, to discuss and make clear all the things we DO agree on, and state clearly where we disagree, and do some explaining to the secular Jew. It will do a great amount of good. Why does it only come out with tragity?
but I don’t know who has time for such lofty ideas, or maybe the areas of disagreements is too big….
Below is a link to a report on one of the news stations with the Satmar protest (and comments voiced) being used as one in support of the condemnation of the flotilla attack. (There was very little coverage otherwise – thank G-d.)
There is not one mention of the true cause of the demonstration.
If there is any reason that this protest was so terribly timed -this is it:
http://www.wpix.com/videobeta/5537e4a6-03cc-4413-97aa-1f036195d3c2/News/Protests-Against-Israeli-Deadly-Raid
“Next time they come to your shul “shnorring”– MonseyFan, no. 8
I gues that comment pretty well sums up the Ahavas Yisroel” of some of the people who poosted comments here today.
At the demonstration, the English speaker began his remarks by specifically pointing out that the Hasidic protest was not connected in any way with the Arab protest.
This protest was planned and publicised a full week in advance, way before anyone dreamed of a Gaza crisis.
In my opinion, the Gaza crisis is, in fact, a Heavenly punishment against the Israeli regime, wo insist on desecrating ancient gravesites and beating and torturing the demonstrators, who follow the instruction of the Beis Din Tzedek of the Edah Hachareidis in Yerushalaim.
Shame on you people for your intolerance towards your fellow Jews, who are suffering in Eretz Yisroel!
i was watching that protest .the POLICE HQ gave an estimate of about 1500