Woman in Beit Shemesh attacked by ultra-Orthodox extremists
In latest incident sparked by 'immodest dress,' crowd of ultra-Orthodox men smash car of Natali Mashiah, 27, who says she believes they were going to set her on fire.
By Oz Rosenberg Tags: Orthodox JewsA woman was attacked in her car in Beit Shemesh Tuesday by ultra-Orthodox extremists - the latest in a series of incidents apparently sparked by what members of the town's Haredi community view as immodest dress.
A crowd of ultra-Orthodox men jumped on 27-year-old Natali Mashiah's car in the Haredi Ramat Beit Shemet Bet neighborhood, she said. Members of the crowd smashed her car windows and punctured her four tires before spilling bleach on the inside of her car, said the Beit Shemesh resident, adding that she believed the men were going to set her on fire. As she fled the car, she said she was hit on the head by a rock thrown from very close range.
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Natali Mashiah after she was attacked by ultra-Orthodox men in Ramat Beit Shemesh on Jan. 24, 2012.. |
| Photo by: Michal Fattal |
Police arrested three suspects when they arrived on the scene, and searched the area for other suspects. Although a crowd was said to have gathered during the attack, no one reportedly came to Mashiah's assistance.
The incident follows the highly publicized case of 8-year-old Na'ama Margolese last month, who was reportedly spat at for her supposedly insufficiently modest dress despite the fact that she comes from a religious family.
In a separate incident about a week ago, a third-grade American immigrant boy was attacked in Beit Shemesh by a group of young Haredim as he walked home from school.
The incident occurred at about 1 P.M. when Mashiah came to the neighborhood for her work, in order to post advertisements. Mashiah parked her car and set out to hang the ads. "All of a sudden a man came up to me and called me a shikse [a derogatory term for a non-Jewish woman] and a slut," she said, and told her to leave.
Mashiah said she then called the police, who told her to remain there until a police cruiser came, she recounted. She said she was then immediately approached from several directions by about 10 ultra-Orthodox men carrying rocks and bottles. She ran to her car, she said, but before she could start the engine, they jumped on her car and started pounding on it.
She said she begged them to stop and promised to leave the area. She also called her brother, Omri, a company commander in the Givati Brigade who was at the family home at the time.
She said before help arrived members of the crowd smashed her car windows and punctured the tires, before someone spilled bleach on her. "I thought, this was it, this is the end, I am going to die," she said, adding, "The look in their eyes reminded me of the lynching in Ramallah," an apparent reference to a 2000 lynching by two Israeli reserve soldiers by a group of Palestinians in the West Bank city of Ramallah. "I yelled to them, 'But I'm Jewish,'" she said. She said at that point one of the assailants leaned into the car and took the car keys.
Mashiah said she managed to get out of the car and started to flee the scene when she was hit on the head by a rock. She ran to a nearby building with members of the crowd in pursuit, but said that at that point the police cruiser arrived. "When they saw the lights of the police car, they ran away," she said.
At about the same time, Mashiah said, her brother arrived by cab. He said he was aware of what was happening before he got to the scene because he had been in constant contact with his sister from her cell phone. "I heard her screaming," he said. "I heard the sound of the smashing [windows]."
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Be careful...US of A cant differentiate between bearded men and bearded. In the end they will get confused and bomb Israel instead of Iraq .. eehmmm Iran.
If the gov't won't deal with these terrorists, who will?
Witch-hunts in the dark ages. Razzia's in the second WorldWar. And now this ?! In the state of Israel? Have they forgotten their history ? I'm really uphold by the recent stories about this kind of extremism from orthodox jews. Wish you all the best in resolving this terrible trend.
stay as far away fro religious zealots as i can. They are no different from homicidal mullahs...sorry to say that... I am a Jew and when I see some one like those bearded fools I feel ashamed....
to live in Ramat bet Shemesh and be associated with these thugs. every time i drive through RBS Bet i wonder as a woman driving will someone one day throw a stone at my car??? awful, just awful.
Democracy in action.Feedom at its best. Question to USA the champion of Democracy and Human Rights:What is the difference between this action and actions in Saudi Arabia?
Hi Mashiah, welcome to Iran.
No two ways about it.
shocking news from the only democracy in the so-called Middle East. Extremists must not get the sovereignty over territory, otherwise they will be encouraged to continue. For tourism, e.g. LGBT tourists, which would also be a disaster
I wonder why they don't see to smash up someone else's car, threaten, act like hooligans and destroy the reputation of Israel is immodest if not more than a free woman walking down the street CLOTHED, not naked but wearing clothes!
These guys are behaving like lunatics in Iran...and then we say they should be disarmed? Maybe we should be looking closer.
In Europe, when mobs attacked Jews we called it anti-Semitism. What do we call it in Israel when Jews are the mob? As we read about these thugs, one has to wonder what kind of perverts they are. They justify their behavior because any contact with a woman is sexually arousing. If that doesn't make them "dirty old men" I do not know what does.
This goes completely against Jewish values.
FYI - Jewish values are supposed to promote morality...! The police should share responsibility for the attack, because they told her to stay with the antagonist - very stupid advice! the whole incident may have been averted if she had left immediately!
By not being able to read the bible critically and By absorbing the so many apologetic Midrashim as if they were written in stone, we sweep under rug the belligerence attitude the religion has towards women, non-jews and non religious people. If anything let us criticize loudly the misogynistic side of the bible god , the elitist side of the bible god, we will be able to infer by then that maybe the god depicted in the bible is more like a tribal god and we dont owe him anything! we certainly can still love and be proud of our Judaism and accept it as a sign of humility rather than a sign of ego.
One way to deal with all this would be to put up signs - "If you came this far, you made a mistake, turn around immediately" - and just declare the area a closed zone. No woman, immodest or otherwise or non Haredi man, no physician, nurse, ambulance driver, Bezeq or electricity techician, road repairman, teacher - should be allowed to enter these dangerzones - at least not without police escort.
Make it simple: "Here be dragons."
Over time the "dangerzone" will grow, best to tackle religious extremism with the same ferocity as terrorism, wipe this ideology out before it causes serious damage to Israeli society.
These areas and situations while unfortunately the locale of these rare but extreme and nontypical attacks are not the danger zoned of terror or death. It is not acurate to compare these areas to "terror zones" or gang land areas. All the Haredi are not involved That being said there should be a stronger police presence in this area.
If they want to be independent, then let them be ENTIRELY independent.
... own extremists. I never thought something possible like jewish Talibans. Where is the government? Will it end like in a "jewish Afganistan" where religion leaders and ultra-extremists rule the country? I can't believe this is happening! But it does.
This is not a minority being attacked. It's a majority being ethnically cleansed from Jerusalem.
By the end of the article I wanted to cry. For Natali's suffering and also, the horror her brother must have experienced while trying to get to her aide. As a religious Jew, I hate (yes, intolerate!) when I hear of so-called "Jews" behaving as barbarians.
Demolish their homes and herd them all into a small strip of land and bomb regularly. That works really well, doesn't it?
where different groups live together under a common set of values. Isreal has tribes, each with their own chieftains and own set of rules.
There should be a heavy security presence in the air to end this once-and-for-all. Imprison them if they continue these shenanigans.
Imagine a mob of arabs would attack an israeli woman in Jafo or Akko because they do not like the way she is dressed... The mob in Beit Shemesh needs to be dealt with in exactly the same way: Hit 'em hard.
This highlights the paradox of democracy - how can the tolerant tolerate the intolerant? Democracy is not only about rights, but obligations as well, something the Haredi community seem unable/unwilling to accept
its time to get them to change their education,seems like they teach hatred to....
If the Israeli government is really serious about wanting American Jews to move to Israel, they will stop these fanatical attacks on helpless women and children. No sane American Jew would move there to risk being attacked in this way.
The Israeli government will stop these fanatical attacks on helpless women and children NOT because of American Jews but because of the majority of Israeli citizens who are not extreme.
of course, no comments...
A mob attacks a woman and the police sends one patrol car? Get the three men who were arrested and make sure they give the names of the rest of the gang. Hey, Yishai how about sending more police to Beith Shemesh?
As these extremists got more and more spoiled they became sick with power and now they will gladly tear down the temple if they don't get their way. The governments answer? They will treat the extremists even more carefully than before. They will "punt" the problem to the future at which time it will have gotten worse.
A mob attacks a woman and the police sends one patrol car? Get the three men who were arrested and make sure they give the names of the rest of the gang. Hey, Yishai how about sending more police to Beith Shemesh?
They are out of control.
I know that three guys were arrested, but that is treating the symptom and not the root problem. The root problem of extremist "ultra orthodox" values is tolerated. They have their champions in the government. Ironic to see Israelis tolerate this and mock similar issues in Islamic nations.
Israel is a western-style democracy in name only.
with islamic and KKK extremists...
No doubt these were just good jewish boys out having some fun. To bad they did not wait around for her brother to get there. Then the fun could really have begun. Expect more of their fun in the future.
No doubt these were just good jewish boys out having some fun. To bad they did not wait around for her brother to get there. Then the fun could really have begun. Expect more of their fun in the future.
Come and live in Australia Natali, a modern, civilized democracy where women and minorities can live in FREEDOM. Leave the crazy middle east and it's religious fundamentalists and extremists far behind. It's future is war and stress.
Make Israel a safe place for all Jews. We will never get another chance.
Not all Israelis are Jewish - don't you mean make Israel safe for all its citizens?
What would have been if these people had easy access to guns?
These people are NOT ultra orthodox They are a breakaway group called Nekutei Karta they are considered a deviant sect and borderline heretics. The Ultra Orthodox do serve in the army albeit in small numbers unfortunately the NK is given a pass by a lot of Haredi
As an Orthodox Jew I truly apologize to Miss Mashiah for these Apikorsim's actions. Shame on you Beit Shemesh! Like the golden calf standing silent is NOT acceptable! Do you really think that Hashem will reward us for this? Maybe that's why 17 Gedolim have died in the last 6 months and the Gadol HaDor of Ashlenaz as well as the Gadol HaDor of Sefard have had illness affect them or their son. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE!! Well I speak out Women and Children are of limits. Why are these men talking to women unnecessarily? Take care of it Jail them or put them in Herem.
That will make the G-d of Israel happier than the good they mistakenly thought they were trying to do in His name.
I have no reason to doubt the possibility that this woman was the victim of wanton bigotry, but this is poor reportage..what did her signs say..how was she dressed? What did the Ultra-Orthodox have to say? Did the police question anyonr..did the reporter? Coverage of thesr stories demands a level of journalism that is unimpeachable!
Mashiah was viciously and dangerously attacked by a group of persons while she was about her proper business. I agree that the reporting left your questions unanswered, but even if her dress and manner could be regarded as "provocative" that is no excuse for verbal harassment and physical attack.
I think it's time to take the country back from these crazies.
Stop treating these criminals with kid gloves. They are domestic terrorists. Treat them the same way a violent mob of Palestinians attacking an Israeli civilian would be treated - neutralize the threat, interrogate the perpetrators, prosecute any collaborators. These ignorant barbarians are a stain on Judaism and Israel.
As bad as Saudi Arabia.... This terrorism will be effective. Israeli women will be frightened to venture out alone, will be frightened to work outside of their home. (Mashiah will be traumatized for life.) Worst of all, it's only a matter of time before a woman or a girl gets killed. Why is this nightmare happening in Israel?
you're not praying enough.
What sort of signs was she posting? Who hired her? Is there any evidence to substantiate her allegations?
What a dumb question. Her car has broken windows, flat tires and she was on her cell phone with her brother who is NOT deaf. And I would imagine she has a bruise on her head from the rock.
I would thing the damage to her car, and self would speak for itself. I'm sorry but what justifies this kind of behaviour?
HOW ABOUT A SMASHED HEAD, A SMASHED CAR-- GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU???
How about the smashed car, what the police saw, her brother on the other end of the phone while it was happening? Do you really think something on the posters could justify their acts?
is SLZ implying that there could possibly some justification for this? What kind of mentality could think such thoughts?
you are as twisted as they are