Riots in Jaffa as ultra-Orthodox Jews protest graves 'desecration'
Five police officers, ten demonstrators lightly hurt in protest violence after rabbi leads mass prayers to curse developers of luxury housing project.
By Yaniv Kubovich and The Associated Press Tags: Israel newsHundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews rioted in Jaffa on Wednesday over building work they say is desecrating Jewish graves.
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Haredi protestors clashing with police in Jaffa, June 14, 2010. |
| Photo by: Nir Kafri |
Police and reinforcements from the Border Guard deployed heavily to contain protesters and at least five police officers hurt by stones thrown by rioters, who also torched rubbish bins, Israel Radio reported. Ten demonstrators were lightly hurt and fifteen were arrested.
Rabbi Tuvia Weiss, leader of the Edah HaChareidis, an extremist Jewish sect that rejects the authority of the State of Israel, led mass prayers, including curses directed at the developers of a hotel in the Andromeda luxury housing development near the seafront in central Jaffa.
"The Rabbi put a curse on the health, body and the livelihood of anyone talking part in this project and desecrating the memory of the dead," one protester said.
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Haredi Jews rioting in Jerusalem, November 27, 2009 |
| Photo by: Archive |
Demonstrators called police "Nazis" and "murderers", while one black officer suffered racist taunts.
Last month Haredi Jews staged demonstrated at an Ashkelon hospital over building on ancient graves - which archaeologists later said were Byzantine, not Jewish as protesters claimed.
Jerusalem has also witnessed a series of disturbances in the past year over the municpality's plans to open a car park on Saturdays, the Jewish sabbath.
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To day It's become difficult to distinguish between the ulta -Orthadox Jews and Islam .They both compulsive conformers ,stereotyped thinkers, total lack of insight and social neuroses. Take to the streets at a drop of a hat "God Help Us All."
People should know the truth that the Eyda Charedit is not anti-ZIonist. They work with the Agudah, with members of the Knesset all the time. The idea that they are anti-Zionist is due to journalistic ignorance. They simply want to correct evils of the Zionist state in a way different from the Agudah party. Did you see any Eyda leaders condemn the murder on the flotilla? Do they teach their followers to leave the Zionist state or to ask for foreign intervention even to save their OWN community and agenda? The answer is no.
...where folks with strong religious convictions act counter to "the law of the land." While arguably not precise comparisons, here in the USA anti-abortion proponents have been known to attack abortion clinics (and from time to time kill a doctor)...and polygamists sometimes "marry" underage girls--but for some reason or other--we don't let them get away with it. (Come to think of it, maybe it's due to our nation's failure to fully understand and deeply appreciate the profound depth of their religious convictions.)
Hmm...
this is a huge chillul hashem. May hashem have mercy on us...
Now the Israeli government began to occupy its own people. As a leftist leftists in Israel would a call to stop your government now. SHALOM naturei karta
as theirs is a self induced mental illness, they should be rehabilitated and sent back out into public. they should though have travel restrictions, and be on some sort of probation. violators should be jailed
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has and still causes a lot of polarization over the world and leads to the death and suffering of many. If jews can fight with Jews yet live together, and Palestinians fight with Palestinians yest live together, then why can't Jews and Palestinians live together and spare the world of all the turmoil this conflict is causing. Open up the borders and have one state for all. the Israelis can call it Israel, the Palestinians can call it Palestine. For any one looking at you people from afar you guys have essentially the same religion: When you pray you shake they bend, You eat Kosher, they eat Halal, You turn to the Wall, they turn to mecca, you wear a yaka, they wear a cap, both of you like to grow beards, your women cover up their heads , you believe in one God, so do they. Isn't it time you got together and spared the world repercussions of your stupid conflict. Back in the 70, the USA would not recognize communist China. They were on the verge of war (Korea, Vietnam etc.) Nothing changed:America is still capitalist, China is still communist, yet now they co-exist and have spaer us all the tension of the Cold war. Take a hint, start on co-existing and living together...the world cannot tolerate any further your prejudice and fundamentalism. We are tired!
Certain religious garbs and practices may resemble one another but our theologies are entirely different. Only someone who is completely ignorant and bereft of any meaningful values could make such a stupid statement.
whom mubarak called roaming gangs of thugs. Try writing same there but you'll need a good alias if you want to survive till the next day.
If the religious studied history and science and literature, they would have the perspective the forethought to distinguish reality from fantasy.
why dont they get jobs? Pay taxes and contribute. they dont even like my home. they do not believe in israel. leeches!!! Get jobs and behave.
With the reaction of Israeli Arabs protesting against the construction of a "Museum of Tolerance" on top of an ancient and historic Muslim cemetery. The first ones to speak up for the rioters here are the first ones to dismiss the Arabs' claims.
Sometimes I wonder if Theodor Herzl was the founding father of Israel, or maybe the scriptwriters for Monty Python's Flying Circus invented us
How can the Haredim recognize decisions made by a State which according to them does not exist? This is double-standarding. They should be dealt with hard: cut their State allowance they live on, since, how can they get an allowance of a non-existing entity (and: how can they accept money from a state they do not accept? Again hypocrisy), and punish judicially not with prison but with labor-assignments (let them work charity work in secular old folks homes and clean in secular houses)
One can feel very angry at these people but we need to count to ten before reacting. Their behavior is disgusting and the best punishment for them would be a communal charge with additional penalties for those photographed rioting to pay for clearing up the damage and compensation for those police injured
10 years ago, 13 Israeli Arabs were killed in riots in Israel. Now I’m wondering: what on earth did they do? The police officers didn’t even hurt these stone throwing demonstrators, even though they themselves were hurt. Did the Israeli Arabs go nuclear?
If demonstrators throw stones and hurt police officers, then the police are murders and Nazis. If soldiers shoot activists in international waters, then the activists are terrorists. I think I need to study newspeak to comprehend this.
Then why are they digging up the cemetery? Also don't they have the rabbanut of Israel which determines a halachic policy for these situations. What has been their halachic decision in regards to this?
If Orthodox Jews had not kept Judaism alive over the centuries...learning Torah...keeping the mitzvas...praying to G-d... There would be no Jewish people at all, no Medinat Israel, nothing, just history like people who are descended from the Magyars or something. Don't Bite the Hand that Feeds You!!! Don't attack Orthodox Jews for believing in the Torah!!
Being a practicing Orthodox Jew myself, I do agree with your opening statement, however I believe the title of your comment in context of your parting message is mixed up. I do believe that Torah is the utmost truth, but should be performed, learned, and practiced in the Modern World and within the context of the rest of humanity. Thus I do believe it is the Hareidim (and NOT ALL of them, mind you) that are biting the hand that feeds them (welfare, security, etc.)
i am a secular, left leaning jew, but i must agree completely with the premise that in a sense the orthodox jewish community bears much credit for 'keeping judaism alive' over the years. it is a very stange and double edged dynamic that has developed, whereby on the other hand many ultra orthodox jews don't even recognize the current state if israel. so the very group of people that can claim to have kept judiasm going are typically at odds with the govt and secularism which represents the modern jewish state. at the ultra extremes, these groups behave much like the muslim extremists in that they have no room for debate, compromise or discussion, and often turn to violence. as a secular, liberal jew and rabid supporter of israel, its very much a love/hate relationship i have with them.
There have always been different communities of Jews with different interpretations of how to live Jewishly. There is no one "Keeper of the True and Proper Judaism." You have the school of Hillel and the school of Shammai, Jerushalmi and Bavli, Sephardi and Ashkenazi, and so we say "This and this are the words of the Living G-d." The people now known as "Orthodox" can lay no claim to having "preserved" Judaism. That's insulting. They may have preserved their form of Judaism, but that's about it. Although, today, you could truly say that the Orthodox are doing a great job of single-handedly turning Jews away from any practice of Judaism by their behavior in Israel, thus, perhaps, hastening the demise of Judaism.
These guys, with out a doubt, PURPOSEFULLY injure police....how many shot dead, through the head, while laying down?
Please explain a scenario where the man would have accidentally injured two police officers...one may be more believable, but two? Please.
Are there really any? If yes, why is construction work on a cemetery allowed? This story is missing almost all details and is not very useful. Try harder, pls!
Whilst many folk have certain doubts about this latest attempt to gain publicity by our fanatic cousins who tried so hard in Ashkelon, only to be fronted with a Pagan Altar, we must almost surmise that this a repeat performance unless someone unravels the burden of doubt. Lets also understand, that these groups are furthering their aims in not only civil disobedience but have crossed the line into dangerous and unchartered waters. Violence cannot be tolerated. the police must act according to the law of the land. Nobody, should be exempted. Good day.