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Education Minister Yuli Tamir visiting Mercaz Harav (Tomer Neuberg) Last update - 02:59 10/03/2008 Mercaz Harav yeshiva tells Olmert he's not welcome to visit By Yair Ettinger, Haaretz Correspondent and Haaretz Service Tags: Mercaz Harav, Israel  Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was told on Sunday that he is not welcome to visit the Mercaz Harav religious school in Jerusalem, where eight students were killed Thursday when a Palestinian gunman opened fire on a crowded library. The yeshiva informed Olmert of its decision in response to the prime minister's request to visit the school in the wake of the attack. In its message, the yeshiva said its decision was not final, but emphasized that their wish was "to save him and us the embarrassment." Advertisement The Prime Minister's Office on Sunday night denied that Olmert had been told not to visit, according to Army Radio. The PMO told the radio that the yeshiva had actually contacted the prime minister to invite him. Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi visited the yeshiva on Sunday night, where he met with the heads of institution and with the student who stopped the terrorist from continuing his fire. Ashkenazi said he had come to the yeshiva to strengthen the morale of the students and their teachers. Defense Minister Ehud Barak is scheduled to visit the school in the next few days. In an address to his followers on Sunday night, yeshiva head Rabbi Yaakov Shapira criticized the government, saying: "under this hollow leadership, a strong government, which reflects the real interests of the people, will arise." "At these difficult times we must bring about the hidden strengths of the entire nation, praise and practice the torah, and establish righteous and rigorous education system for the sake of the whole public, until the ministry which is in charge of the education in this country will get to the very bottom of these strengths," Rabbi Shapira said. He added that "our slain brothers are calling to us from this very soil. Here, in this holy place, the blood of the best of our sons was shed. May God avenge their deaths." "When the torah is absent," Rabbi Shapira continued, "people do as they like. When, God forbid, there is no faith in our righteousness, there is no spiritual strength, and our physical strength is also deficient. This is why we are constantly on the defense. I believe, like the rest of the public, that the nation expects and yearns for a change of perception, of policy, of action. The time is ripe. We are united." Angry students cut short Tamir's visit to stricken yeshiva Education Minister Yuli Tamir was ejected from the Mercaz Harav religious school during her visit on Sunday, after students called her a "murderer" and "Oslo criminal." Tamir first visited the middle school, where students outside shouted at her to leave. The school's head rabbis asked that Tamir discontinue her tour, but she insisted on visiting the yeshiva high school as well. Tamir met some 30 rabbis and students, who said the attack had made them feel much less safe. During the hour-long meeting, Tamir's interlocutors criticized government policies toward the national-religious sector, both politically and in terms of funding. "In spite of the disagreements, this is a sad time, when everyone feels love and sympathy," Tamir told her listeners. Some students protested Tamir's invitation, calling it "sycophancy." During the meeting, dozens of students gathered outside the yeshiva to protest her presence, saying she consistently "harasses the religious sector." A plastic bottle thrown towards the education minister hit one of her security guards in the back. Tamir was escorted safely back to her vehicle by police. The head of the middle school, Rabbi Yerachmiel Weiss, told Haaretz after the incident that "many students find the government's political prospects - be it the division of Jerusalem or evacuating outposts, which for some means being driven out of their homes - very distressing. While there were some who slammed her visit, we told them everyone has the right to hold their own worldview, and we were pleased that the minister came." Tamir said Sunday evening that "outside the library people gathered. They shouted, behaved inappropriately and ruined the atmosphere of grief. Sadly, some people cannot distinguish between politics and bereavement." "When I was invited, I didn't hesitate for a moment," Tamir added. "Unfortunately, I feel that some people, hopefully only a handful, cannot transcend their propensity for incitement, even in times of mourning." Also on Sunday, six right-wing activists were detained Sunday afternoon en route to the East Jerusalem mourning house of the perpetrator of Thursday's attack. A police squad declared the march an illegal gathering and detained several participants. Meanwhile, the Jewish Agency will start a drive this week to raise support for Israel and its fight against terror among Jewish communities around the world, following Thursday's attack. Hundreds of JA and World Zionist Organization envoys will receive kits with photographs of the attack and information material to hold memorial events and rallies. The campaign is also aimed to counter pro-Palestinian campaigns following the IDF's operation in the Gaza Strip, which killed 120 Palestinians. The Anti-Defamation League on Friday denounced as "shocking" the United Nations Security Council's abstention from condemning Thursday's terror attack. Related articles: For stricken yeshiva, trauma of terror attack likely to linger 'His face would glow with joy,' say friends of yeshiva attack victim ANALYSIS: Gazans see attack on yeshiva as unusual achievement Eight killed when terrorist opens fire in library at Jerusalem yeshiva Bookmark to del.icio.us   State policy Olmert approves plan for 750 new homes in West Bank settlement of Givat Ze'ev. Sticking to his story Director of 'Jenin, Jenin' swears there are no falsehoods in his movie.   1.   I understand their grief but... 19:14  |  B`Galil 09/03/08   2.   YULI TAMIR 19:53  |  THE TEACHER/INSTRUCT 09/03/08   3.   why the hell did she show her face at the yeshiva 20:15  |  yossy h 09/03/08   4.   Deadly statistics 20:16  |  christa 09/03/08   5.   Hooligan culture 20:23  |  Observer 09/03/08   6.   You can`t judge 20:27  |  Joseph 09/03/08   7.   Tamir :Zionism murderer 21:19  |  trumpeldor 09/03/08   8.   Govt Leader visits site of Carnage 21:19  |  Maurice Zaslawsky 09/03/08   9.   tamirs visit 21:41  |  joseph 09/03/08   10.   Angry students cut short Tamir`s 22:34  |  Mark Wiseman 09/03/08   11.   #6 Joseph in London 23:03  |  Labhras 09/03/08   12.   to Observer, No. 5 23:12  |  jackie 09/03/08   13.   Honesty. How rare these days 23:13  |  Jewish State 09/03/08   14.   Tamir has tried to rewrite history 23:15  |  jackie 09/03/08   15.   Cowardly and worse, stupid interpertations. 23:37  |  Gideon Reader 09/03/08   16.   for joseph - to answer your question 23:48  |  just me again 09/03/08   17.   Tamir and the Oslo criminals are greater enemy than Sheik Yassin 00:05  |  Joe 10/03/08   18.   to # 1 00:13  |  Barron 10/03/08   19.   Israeli govt: providing protection and comfort to family of 00:14  |  SLAVO 10/03/08   20.   to use death as a political tool 00:18  |  ana 10/03/08   21.   Meanwhile... 00:21  |  Maureen Ann 10/03/08   22.   The yeshiva`s difficult moments... 00:27  |  sandra chitayat 10/03/08   23.   Tamir founded Peace Now, which led to Oslo DEBACLE 00:31  |  M 10/03/08   24.   Tamir cut funding to religious schools by 40%--she is DESPISED!! 00:37  |  Moshe 10/03/08   25.   PM has got a lucky hand... 00:39  |  watcher 10/03/08   26.   95% of comments in Hebrew deride violently the Rosh yeshiva. G-d 00:47  |  Dave 10/03/08   27.   Make that fool yalla out of office Step downbarak deserves it 01:03  |  Pharo mc.Tut 10/03/08   28.   #5 judgemental observer 01:27  |  judith 10/03/08   29.   Observer is blinded by his own prejudices 01:42  |  Elihu 10/03/08   30.   This is a measure of the fanaticism 02:06  |  Mark Lincoln 10/03/08   31.   Torah is with a capital T you heathen 02:29  |  Durand E. 10/03/08   32.   B` Galil #1: No, you do not understand their grief 02:30  |  Steve 10/03/08   33.   Mark Lincoln # 13 03:44  |  Elihu 10/03/08   34.   Yes, they are fanatics 03:51  |  Eli 10/03/08   35.   This "woman" cannot transend HER PROPENSITY FOR INCITEMENT..... 03:58  |  Tim 10/03/08   36.   Step up to the Task! 03:59  |  Joseph 10/03/08   37.   hypocrites, what about 100+ dead palestinians 04:09  |  dont forget so fast 10/03/08   38.   Straight out of the Communist Manifesto Playbook, 04:14  |  Don Corresuss 10/03/08   39.   B Galil #1 These kids serve in the army and fight 04:25  |  Yaacov 10/03/08   40.   I Applaud The Yeshiva - Olmert Is a Joke of a PM 04:26  |  Tod Zuckerman 10/03/08   41.   #21 No one has forgotten, 04:50  |  Elihu 10/03/08   42.   Unfortunate Response 05:30  |  guy 10/03/08   43.   All those who armed the terrorists should leave public life 05:33  |  Tom 10/03/08   44.   #1 has a lot of chutzpah 05:53  |  david 10/03/08   45.   Lybia has blocked condemnation of OUN 16:25  |  J.Laufer 10/03/08

Today Online Olmert: There is no cease-fire agreement with Hamas Responses: 175 Amos Oz: Left wing can return to power in next elections Responses: 75 Akiva Eldar: Israel knows the price it has to pay for security Responses: 35 AJC leader urges Israel to give 'Durban 2' meet a chance Responses: 37 Rosner's Domain Whose Jerusalem Is It, anyway? Poll: Should Abbas and Olmert continue their talks? An Israeli and a crocodile (WTR) The Israel Factor: What's wrong with Obama? Rosner's Mailbox: Stop focusing on Israel's favorability polls More Headlines 15:24 PM: There's no cease-fire agreement with Hamas 15:01 Cheney to visit Israel, PA this month on Middle East tour 12:03 Egyptian troops kill Sudanese man trying to cross into Israel 09:44 Three wounded, two seriously, in Netanya restaurant shooting 10:12 AJC leader urges Israel to give 'Durban 2' conference a chance 14:43 In show of modesty, Haredi women make up in private 16:04 Junior faculty union warns of looming university strike 13:29 Jerusalem plans 400 new homes for Jews in eastern part of capital 12:12 ANALYSIS: The lull in rockets is not due to an Israel-Hamas deal 11:24 Supreme Court set to discuss connecting unrecognized Bedouin towns to water Previous Editions Select Day 09 mar 07 mar 06 mar 05 mar 04 mar 03 mar 02 mar 29 feb 28 feb 27 feb 26 feb 25 feb

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