Are the "super datee" Jews above the law?
The good Jews of the Mea Shearim (100 Gates) section of Jerusalem went on a rampage Wednesday against fellow Jews.
According to YNetnews.com ( http://tinyurl.com/6aq9v4j) and other sources "Six police officers were hurt Wednesday during haredi riots in Jerusalem's Mea Shearim neighborhood. A joint Tax Authority-Jerusalem Municipality operation saw inspectors raiding local business whose owners were suspected of tax evasion. Police provided security.
"Ultra-Orthodox elements accused the police of unnecessary provocation and claimed their deployment was disproportionate. Dozens of haredim rioted following the arrest of several people and set trash cans on fire. "
The Shearim blog posting for Sunday, July 7 (http://tinyurl.com/6hxymk7) reports that on Saturday (July 6) the haredim had a warm up by "demonstrating" against the opening the Mamilla parking lot on Shabbat; the lot is across from Jaffa Gate.
According to the blog, "The Edah HaCharedit went wild and yesterday evening, garbage cans were burnt in Shivtei Israel Street (right across the Toldot Aharon Synagogue). The haredim claimed violence coming from the police and the police claimed that the haredim were too violent. Also different figures of participants have been published: The Edah says that 15.000 haredim were demonstrating whereas the police states that only approximately 1000 people took part in the demonstration."
It's no secret that the haredim "dislike" homosexuals, and to express their feelings to the world, according to a short youtube video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSONLpm68pI, the haredi hit the bricks' and rioted over the annual gay march in Israel's capital.
The haredim seem to think they are above the law - that the presence of police is an excuse to throw stones - and more - and to set fires throughout the neighborhood.
These are the same good folk who, on Shabat, walk up a hill built as a sound barrier between a highway and the haredi neighborhood (making the roadway "out of sight and out of mind" for a normal Shabat observant Jew) where they can throw stones at passing vehicles.
Never mind that the rocks and stones are "muksey" (forbidden to touch) on Shabat and haggim and never mind that a rock or stone hitting a passerby could cause injury or, G-d forbid, death.
When the two rabbis who refused a police request to talk about their approval of a controversial book that, apparently, condones murder of non-Jews, the police "arrested" the rabbis and their followers went to the streets.
These people, the haredim of Mea Shearim, reject the Israeli government, although they accept Israeli welfare for their families and institutions.
If, G-d forbid, Israel must give up parts of its capital to the so-called "palestinians," I would like to suggest they give the Arabs Mea Shearim. It really would be interesting to see how a Muslim cop would deal with rioting Jews. I'll wager not nearly as gently as the Israeli policemen who probably are losing all respect and patience for these "religious" people.
I wonder what Israel's far left have to say? Could they be climbing into bed with the haredim? The political far left with the religious extremists together against Israel - reality squeezed from two sides.
For me, הריני מקבל עלי מצוה עשה של ואהבת לרעך כמוך, והריני אוהב כל אחד מבני ישראל is becoming exceedingly difficult when it comes to religious extremists.
