Thousands took part in the Eida Chareidis Shabbos protest against the opening of a municipal parking lot on Shabbos in Yerushalayim. Six policemen and a member of the press were injured. Seven arrests were made including a 16-year-old male.
Jerusalem police commanders this week will be attempting to meet with Eida leaders to prevent a repeat performance next Shabbos while City Hall has announced the parking lot will operate again as planned. Members of Mayor Nir Barkat’s staff point out that travelers visit Jerusalem on Shabbos, arriving by car, as is the case weekly, and everything is being done to prevent chilul Shabbos by opening of the parking lots, stressing rabbonim were consulted, leading to the decision to shut off elevators in the multi-story underground parking lot, leaving the entrance barrier open, and have non-Jews man the facility in addition to waving all fees.
City Hall stresses it has done everything to operate the lot without chilul Shabbos with the realization that motorists will visit the capital on Shabbos.
Eida officials report about 10,000 people took part in the protest as they congregated on Shivtei Yisrael Street at about 5:00pm, with hundreds of avreichim escorting Eida Gavad Rav Tuvia Weiss Shlita while singing Shabbos songs in the background. They report that upon their arrival in the Kikar Safra City Hall complex, police began pushing and shoving without provocation. Police report the crowd ignored their directives and tried entering the City Hall area.
The Eida insists the opening of the municipal lot cannot and will not be tolerated. Yahadut HaTorah Deputy Jerusalem Mayor Pindrus released a statement against the move, stating the chilul Shabbos cannot be tolerated.
Eida spokespeople accuse police of using unjustifiable force against the protestors while police report there were many unruly and violent participants.
Zaka founder and director Yehuda Meshi-Zahav, a former operations officer of the Eida Chareidit, told Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) on Sunday morning that if Jerusalem City Hall does not come to its senses and prevent the chilul Shabbos, the protests will escalate in size.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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14 Responses
Ridiculous demos.
Mayor was elected, UTJ members of city council were in agreement with plan for open by goyim of parking area – now what??
When 10,000 demonstrators are in force, do you think the police should offer free ice coffee and bamba to everyone? Stay home and learn torah, sing zemiros, take the kids for a walk. Never heard of the days when R. SZ Auerbach, R. Chaim Schmuelvitz and others rallied the kehilla forward on shabbos kodesh, What is going on?
The tough guys are threatening for worse to come, where do you think this is leading? To kavod shem shamayim..!!!!
we must fight for shabbos!
#1 and #2: Jerusalem ain’t New York. Over here Shabbos is ikar, and politics walks.
Every step we surrender to the chillonim they take three more against us; their objective is to strangle the growth of the Orthodox and turn Jerusalem into a frei playground. Well: No Way!
Unfortunately, I am not sure what this demonstration achieved except for a great Hillul Hashem.
As a result of the demonstration hundreds more policemen were called in causing them to be mechalel Shabbat. In addition several protesters protesting Hillul Shabbat were themselves mehalel Shabbat as a result of their behaviour. Additionally, several police officers were hospitalised, one seriously as a result of stone throwing.
The sad fact is that I doubt anybody will become frummer as a result of the demonstration. Unfortunately it is more likely to turn people off. I maintain that the only way of getting people to appreciate the beauty that is Shabbat is to invite them to experience this beauty and not to riot.
Maybe that is why several Gedolim did not sign the call to come and demonstrate.
The end does not justify the means. These hooligans use the same logic as the Taliban. Lubavich knows how to encourage shmirat shabbat with kiruv
Given the choice of believing either Harav HaGaon Rav Tuvia Weiss, SHLIT”A, or the Police and the secular Mayor, I’ll take thIS Gaon and Tzaddik who heads the Eda HaChaReidis!
By the way, no one has explained who are these mysterious people who are arriving onShabbos and need to be accomodated? — Are they Jewish?
“#1 and #2: Jerusalem ain’t New York. Over here Shabbos is ikar, and politics walks.
Every step we surrender to the chillonim they take three more against us; their objective is to strangle the growth of the Orthodox and turn Jerusalem into a frei playground. Well: No Way”!
Hello Avreich man, come and visit me in Nvei Yakov know all about the city of gold and been here for a long time. There are other ways to play ball, this way is the losing way.
Given the choice of believing either Harav HaGaon Rav Tuvia Weiss, SHLIT”A, or the Police and the secular Mayor, I’ll take thIS Gaon and Tzaddik who heads the Eda HaChaReidis!
Deep one, there is another choice besides the two you mentioned. UTJ under the reign of the Gadol, Rav Elyashuv shlit”s voted OK with Nir about goyim and no money changing hands in the parking lot. They discouraged participation in the chilul shabbos demo so choice three could be called the shivel hazahav.
This makes me embarrassed to be chareidi,even though I had nothing to do with this. I don’t think it’s fair that thousands of chareidim, especially chassidim, stayed far away from this protest, had nothing to do with it, but now got a name in the media as rock throwers. Yeshiva World should mention that many, and I repeat many rabbonim refused to have anything to do with this disgrace, and several actually discouraged their chassidim/ followers from going. There are groups where they never protest. It’s unfair that the few should taint the masses.
I don’t know what the Eida is getting at, can’t figure it out for the life of mine, but why should someone who has no affiliation with them join the protest because actual quote, he “wants to have some fun.”?
we must fight for kedushas shabbos!
I think it is GREAT!!! Goyim do not run our city, we do! They will understand.
#14 Looking for fun go to a boxing match instead.
Chillul Hashem and chillul Shabbos is not the way to to protest the government’s chillul Shabbos. They will do it anyway;let it be b’shogeg by tinokos sh’nishb’u,rather than on purpose to prove a point. SHOLOM is the only way. You cannot always have everything you want. It is not an ideal situation. The “frum” hooligans should care more about doing their own mitzvos and mind their business.
#15 Can’t go to boxing matches, not kosher. Better burn garbages, much more of a thing that a nice Jewish boy does. They should go however, and fly a kite. I’ll be the first to provide the wind information.