 |
| Mass Charedi protest against a cell phone store in Jerusalem (VIN) |
Destruction of property is a long time feature of the protests this community regularly holds. Setting dumpsters on fire is an almost guaranteed feature of extremists protesting something they don’t like. As is blocking traffic and assorted other acts of despicable behavior.
The idea that stopping traffic on a main thoroughfare in Jerusalem might mean an ambulance on the way to the hospital for purposes of saving a life might be impeded by their protests does not seem to occur to them. Or worse, they don’t care.
Same thing setting dumpsters on fire where the smoke emanating from them waft into the homes of the many elderly people living in those neighborhoods. Where smoke inhalation is far more dangerous to the elderly causing serious illness and death.
That these people have depraved indifference to human life is a feature of an ethic that prioritizes those protests over the health of their own people. When something is worth protesting, the collateral damage is apparently tolerated for the greater good. And what could be a greater good than protesting a cell phone store in the neighboring Geula section of Jerusalem.
In a protest that took place in Jerusalem not long ago, a dumpster set on fire was pushed down a street in an attempt to block traffic. Instead it hit and seriously injured a Charedi mother of 11. That may have been an unintended consequence. But apparently worth the price of that protest. In their minds, these protests are considered acts of righteous indignation in service to the pure and pristine nature of lives filled with Divine service to God. The latest of which took place last Sunday. As noted by VIN:
On Sunday evening, about a thousand protesters demonstrated against a cell phone in the Geula neighborhood in Jerusalem. Toldos Avraham Yitzchak Chassidim went to the store to demonstrate, led by the Rebbe, who himself came to demonstrate in front of the store.
The Rebbe himself! No longer can anyone defend this community by saying that these are all hooligans that do not represent the mainstream. And that their rabbinic leadership does not approve. The Toldos Avraham Yitzchak Rebbe was directly responsible for this protest and led it!
That civilized people of good will from all strata of life condemn this kind of thing is not surprising. What troubles me is that leaders like this are often given so much honor for their religiosity. Completely ignoring the fact that their version of religiosity is responsible for so much damage - physical damage to property and people. And damage to the image observant Jewry everywhere. And therefore a major Chilul HaShem.
Their heightened state of religious purity they believe their religiosity places them in - does not compensate for the damage they do. Instead of honoring someone like the Toldos Ahron Rebbe as did one of the Charedi magazines a while back, they should be shunning him. Regardless of how religious leaders like this seem to be in their daily lives.
Unfortunately waiting for them to do that is a fools errand. Frumkeit is the most important thing to some people on the right and the magazines that cater to them. And I am disgusted by it.
All that being said there has been a lot of criticism at how the Israeli police handles protests like this as has once again been the case here:
In the videos, a group of mounted police can be seen galloping through the crowd of Charedi protesters. National security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir asked Commissioner Kobi Shabtai to investigate the officers’ conduct and discern whether the use of force was justified.
OK. I am all for investigations to find out the truth. The police do sometimes overreact. There is such a thing as police brutality. The truth needs to be determined. But focusing on the police response more than on what generated it is both unfair and wrong. Instead of preventing violence in future protests it will encourage more of it when the police are blamed and violent protesters are ignored.
I suspect that in most cases, the police were only doing their jobs. Even though they might on occasion get carried away by the violence directed at them. It might be helpful to see what the police said in response to those accusations:
The police released a statement, which says in part: “At the beginning…police allowed the demonstration to take place lawfully, but at one point, protesters…tried to damage the cell phone shop while physically pushing the officers who separated between them and the shop.
“…criminals sprayed pepper spray and threw eggs at the officers…The riots continued while eggs and other objects continued to be thrown at officers; police forces pushed the rioters away and detained one suspect caught throwing eggs at officers…”
I believe them.
Alas, that part of the world that should cry out the loudest against these people - will probably never do it. They will instead continue their policy of praising the high level of religiosity of leaders like that who are responsible for fostering it in their own Chasidim – to the point of being role models for all of us!
Sad..