Monday, July 15, 2013

Shameful attack on Chareidi soldier in Meah Shearim by Chareidim - Rav Edelstein condems attack

Update Matzav: Rav Edelstein said that he is shocked that a chareidi soldier was attacked in Meah Shearim and that those who committed this act have “caused great damage to the world of Torah.”
“It is incumbent upon the people of the Eidah Hachareidus to condemn the attack on the soldier,” said Rav Edelstein.


Times of Israel   The soldier assaulted in Jerusalem’s Mea Shearim neighborhood on Tuesday stepped into the lion’s den of anti-establishment ultra-Orthodoxy: a street dominated by the anti-Zionist Neturei Karta sect. 

While politicians, army officials and others, many from the ultra-Orthodox community, have come out against the attack, residents of the neighborhood voiced little condemnation on Wednesday.

The soldier was attacked by dozens of ultra-Orthodox men Tuesday night while walking through the central Jerusalem neighborhood. His attackers beat him and threw oil, water and eggs at him before he managed to escape by ducking into an office, changing out of his uniform, and calling the police.
Officers and medics called to the scene were pelted with stones by residents, who called them Nazis. Four men were arrested for allegedly participating in the assault.[...]

Army officials, however, were unequivocal in their condemnations of the attack.

IDF head Benny Gantz called the incident “very severe,” and said he would deal with it using all the methods at his disposal.

“IDF soldiers carry out their mission not on behalf of shtreimels or yarmulkes or whoever doesn’t wear them, but for all Israeli citizens.”

IDF Spokesman Yoav Mordechai called on ultra-Orthodox leaders to issue an unequivocal condemnation of harassment of IDF soldiers.

“I’m trying to think what would happen if soldiers were attacked by Israeli non-Jews in the Negev or Galilee,” Mordechai said.

The attack was also met with condemnation from across the political spectrum. [...]

Minister of Economics and Trade Naftali Bennett (Jewish Home), however, cautioned against a backlash of animosity directed at the ultra-Orthodox community.

23 comments:

  1. Do you believe the report that he was physically attacked? well the same report and other reports say that he was not injured. He was verbally assaulted not physically attacked.

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    1. What does it matter if it was verbal abuse or physical abuse? As we are well aware of verbal abuse has a longer lasting trauma than physical!!

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  2. Deri condemns, but defends haredi society

    http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Deri-Bennnett-say-not-to-blame-haredi-society-for-attack-319392

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  3. Reb Chaim and his son the Brisker Rov dealt with Zionism in its first stage, as a virulently anti-religious movement that planned to destroy the Torah. The Yaldei Tehran when Orthodox survivors were forced to become irreligious woke everyone up, but the Brisker shita was that one who is devoted to destroying Torah is a dangerous person, and must be feared. So even if these Haredi extremists are disciples of those who utterly reject secular zionism, throwing stones at them is quite a dangerous thing to do. Who says that other people cannot throw stones, or worse? Such a thing, to start a war when you are badly outnumbered, where everybody knows where you live but you don't know where everybody else lives, is just plain stupid. It is part of the present problem in the Haredi world where some people are so crazy that nobody wants to argue with them. Now people think they can do what they want, but when these four arrested Haredim go to court, people are going to wake up, and will either become more crazy and more violent, or they will be at last afraid or aware of the consequences. One thing is for sure, if the Haredi crazies think that everyone is afraid of them, they will learn the hard way just who is afraid.

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    1. There are reports of there being no physical harm - just a verbal assault (a serious transgression nonetheless). It would probably be worthwhile for you to quote these reports as well.

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    2. Great point Dave.

      Furthermore, the few guys who were arrested were not the guys that assaulted (verbally or whatever) the soldier. They were arrested for interfering with the police who responded. "Disturbing the peace." Far less serious a charge that bothering the soldier.

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  4. רבי יהודה אומר: דור שבן דוד בא בו בית הוועד יהיה לזנות, והגליל יחרב, והגבלן יאשם, ואנשי גבול יסובבו מעיר לעיר ולא יחוננו, וחכמת הסופרים תסרח, ויראי חטא ימאסו, ופני הדור כפני כלב, והאמת נעדרת.
    - סנהדרין צז.

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  5. Who should condemn it Anti-zionist Rabbonim , they probably support it because THEY consider him a Machteai Es Harabim.
    So regular Haredei Rabbonim should, but they would be talking to the walls . Who would listen to them?
    Also other reports said that in addition to their not being any physical attacks (which makes one wonder how such different story's can be published) , the soldier was heard encouraging a bachur to join the army and people thought he was a recruiter . This would add some legitimacy (to their point of view) to the verbal attack on him happening.

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    1. Nothing he might have said or might have done allows verbal or physical abuse to be rendered. STOP blaming VICTIMS!!!

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    2. If he was a missionary or encouraging someone to do a crime might that not be grounds for verbal abuse?.
      Also i did not blame the victim i said a mistake was alleged to have been made about what he was doing, namely he was thought to have been a military recruiter operating in Mea Shearim.

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  6. I think it's only a matter of time until real tradgedy strikes. The Haredi crazies have no scruples about throwing rocks, excrement, and rolling large steel dumpsters into police on foot, and on horseback. All this, despite the fact that the police just happen to have guns and clubs. Talk about stupidity combined with fanaticism- they simply have no scuples. Given the level of Haredi extremism and outright tendencey to engage in violence (not mitigated an iota by their Rabbonim, who remain more willing, ready, and able to enact a ban on wristwatches or illicit cereal box pictures than condemning the violence of their followers)I am dreading the day when an attack against the police is met by deadly force. Its perfectly reasonable to expect a scenario where a group of emotionally charged Haredi protesters corner a lone policeman or soldier while pummeling him with rocks and other debris, and in response, the cop pulls his gun and starts shooting- most likely in self defense. It will be a nightmare, of course, but it's only a matter of time till it becomes a reality.

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  7. That is a good step , yosher koach R' Edelstein.
    Now, can we have an ever braver rav to condemn the statement calling DL people Amalek

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    1. Did you see the people on the stage when Rav Kohen made that remark? Anyone who had the ability to condemn him was there, so the likelihood of one coming later is nil.

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  8. We wouldn't really want such violent social misfits in the military, as the resulting disciplinary problems would hurt unit morale and performance.

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  9. “caused great damage to the world of Torah.”

    Is this statement a COMDEMNATION?
    There are many behaviors that cause great damage to the world of Torah is that equal to harassment, violent attacks and terror committed against other Jewish people. I do not understand how they is considered a COMDEMNATION, please explain.

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  10. Two points:
    1)The fact that he is considered such a Godol and such a tzaddik and such a great leader for having condemned this attack tells us a great deal both about our leadership and about how warped our sensibilities are, that someone's doing something that any decent human being would do makes his "great."

    2)It's hard to tell whether he actually condemned it, other than for how it would backfire against the Torah World.

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    1. Dovid Shlomo makes a very good point, and a sharp observation.

      About 2 years ago, R' Shmuel Eliyahu made a comment about renting apartments to arabs. In that case, the Haredi leadership were quick to their feet to condemn. R' Shteinman , for example, said what if in Germany they refuse to rent apartments to Jews? This is the point 2) of David Shlomo.

      Yet, a rodef who is also a Rosh Yeshiva, is inciting and calling Jews who wear a knitted capel "amalek". This is the same genocidal hatred that Hitler had. Yet rabbi Shteinman is keeping shtum. R Shternbuch is keeping shtum. R' Yosef was applauding such vile heresy.
      And you wonder why the Temple hasn't been rebuilt?

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    2. Eddie your hysterical comments are way off - see my recent post regarding the use of the term "Amalek"

      http://daattorah.blogspot.co.il/2013/07/calling-someone-amalek-is-not-code-word.html

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  11. Rav Sternbuch apparently called Religious Zionists "Amalek" as well, as featured on this blog and elsewhere. Rav Shteinman is quoted as saying that all gentiles are thieves and murderers and non-religious Jews aren't much better. Now some Rav Cohen also compared us Religious Zionist types to Amalek as Rav Ovadiah watched without saying a word.
    Why are we surprised when some of their less-bright followers simply take their statements as tacit approval for their actions?

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    1. see my recent post rejecting your accusation http://daattorah.blogspot.co.il/2013/07/calling-someone-amalek-is-not-code-word.html

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  12. Rabbis Eidensohm shlita,

    a few months back you were quick to condemn RHS for speaking about baseball bats being used to beat a get out of a man. When this resulted in an alleged physical attack against one man who is in get dispute, you were both outraged.
    Now, in the days before Tisha B'Av a through and through Haredi Rosh yeshiva has made a declaration that makes R Shachter's baseball bat pale into insignificance. That haredi man has called wearers of Kipot srugot - Amalek, ie directly and explictly calling for murder of hundreds of thousands, or possible millions of Jews.
    Can you please make your voice heard on this matter. otherwise, what are you fasting for, to lose weight?

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  13. Eddie your hysterical comments are way off - see my recent post regarding the use of the term "Amalek"

    http://daattorah.blogspot.co.il/2013/07/calling-someone-amalek-is-not-code-word.html

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    1. Rabbi DAAS TORAH, we have all read your post about the world Amalek...... have you check with Rabbi Cohen and Rabbi Sternbach what was there particular 'meaning & context' when using the world Amalek? It can go either way,,,GENOCIDE or a 'Bad group of people'..

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