By Yechiel Spira for YWN:
March 12, 2008 – (21:50 ISRAEL TIME)
Since the Tuesday night report on Israel’s state-run IBA nightly Mabat News program, there is a disturbing increase in hostility towards the frum and right-wing communities.
Despite statements of clarification by prominent rabbinical authorities, politicians and notables continue to spread their venomous statements, inciting against the Sabbath-Observant community, similar to the atmosphere that prevailed following the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin.
One generally outspoken right-wing rabbi, Rabbi Dovid Meir Druckman, the chief rabbi of Kiryat Motzkin, was interviewed by Mabat News, permitting him to explain that in no way may an individual enact revenge for last week’s Merkaz HaRav terror attack – adding that Hashem brings revenge and the government must act in this vein following the slaughter of eight yeshiva students. “G-d forbid that an individual take action on his own, leading to anarchy” stated Rabbi Druckman.
The same holds true for a number of rabbis interviewed, however the media campaign seems to be giving rise to fears of a new ‘Jewish underground’, with the finger of blame being pointed at the religious community.
Rav Shmuel Eliyahu, Tzfat’s chief rabbi also told Channel 1 News that revenge may only be carried out by the government, not an individual, concurring with the view of Rav Druckman. Rabbis from Merkaz HaRav expressed the same viewpoint in recent statements released following the slaughter of the students last week.
In the meantime, Ayala Hasson, the Mabat correspondent who broke the story stands behind her facts, stating with absolute certainty that three people have already held clandestine meetings towards perpetrating a revenge attack, and they obtained rabbinical approval for such an act.
On Wednesday night she added that one member of the group is a senior IDF reserve duty officer, the second a junior reserve duty officer, and the third, a student.
Public statements released by GSS (General Security Service/ Shin Bet) officials indicate the intelligence agency is monitoring numerous statements and activities, but the organization is unaware of any specific plot as reported by Mabat.
Concurrently, right-wing MKs such as Zevulun Orlev (National Union – National Religious Party) is calling on security and intelligence community officials to act without hesitation to arrest anyone planning such attack – stating such a move is unacceptable and must be prevented. MK Yoel Hasson of the ruling Kadima Party concurred, stating no one has the right to take the law into his own hands.
In the meantime, in the Israeli Arab municipality of Um el-Fahm, located in The Triangle, Mayor Fiad el-Rahman deplored the threats made by right-wing Jews, stating he and his townsfolk are taking the threats most seriously. According to a Mabat report on Wednesday evening, Israel Islamic Association northern branch leader Sheikh Raid Salah has been given increased protection. Salah in the past has been linked to funding Hamas and other terrorist activities and is well known for his pro terrorist leanings.
In yet another related matter, prior to the Merkaz attack last week, Israel Police Northern District officials reported a sharp increase in attacks against Jewish motorists over recent weeks on Route 65 in the Nahal Iron (Wadi Ara) area, as well as in Akko (Acre) and Haifa areas. A dozen or so Arab suspects have been taken into custody in connection to the attacks, most reported to be minors.
Northern District police have stepped up their presence in light of ongoing events, hoping to prevent what some are calling the launch of a Third Intifada.
(The author has been a member of the Israeli media for over a decade, primarily covering security related events.)
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6 Responses
Eight young innocent yeshiva bochurim are murdered in cold blood while they were learning Torah, and the world worries more about a “backlash” from frum people than condemning the murderers and the haters. Weird!
Oh yeah, right, it was the arch-murderer Arafat who got the Nobel “Peace Prize” so what else can one expect from left-wing sympathizers of the Arab murderers.
The Rambam says that if the relatives of person who was murdered can’t take revenge on the murderer and kill him then the mitzva is on all of clal Yisroel.
The only reason not to carry out this justice would be possible danger to the Jewish people as a whole.
The Israeli government is doing a sterling job at putting Israel in mortal danger as well as all Jews in the world so they are not qualified to take the necessary revenge. They wouldn’t anyways.
May Hashem save us from all our tzoras velamalshinim al tehi tikva.
May I be so foolish as to suggest if the security forces were not so busy inciting religious unrest, ala Avishai Raviv and the like, then monitoring that unrest, and issuing reports on religious unrest, than perhaps they would have had time to do their jobs and maybe monitor the Arab terrorists that have sworn to destroy us and perhaps they would have been able to prevent the terrorist attack in Merkaz Harav, instead of blaming the victim, i.e, everybody knows religious zionist hate the Arabs and want to kill them, so what can can you expect when the Arab freedom fighter launch a prevent emptive strike on the bastion on religious Zionism, merkaz harav? Right? Mr Olmert, im yiretz hashem by dir.
Rachmana Litzlan!!!!!
When will klal yisroel come to theyre senses? why is there so much sinah??? this is why moshiach hasnt come. we need achdus!!!! iyh, with purim hbal”t coming, we will all accept new kabalos of achdus
I assume that the report is true, if not yet done it can be quickly arranged; three channel 1 workers sit around “plotting” a supposed revenge attack, then ask the female “correspondent” “kvod Harav, can we go ahead with this?” and she gives her blessing. She definitely has proof, she was at the meeting and even got smicha b’shaas maasa. Or I can imagine they sent a reporter dressed up with a white kippa to a rav, asked him if he should go ahead with “his plot” and he replied “ata meshuga! tehyeh bari, refua sheleima”. It is clear, he got the Rabbi’s “blessing”!
This is ridiculous, they all know that there never was a “jewish right-wing extremest underground” there was only some attempts at provoking violence. No religious Jew would kill anyone for revenge.
I have a friend who was driving in the territories, like ten years ago, and suddenly he saw that the road was blocked off with obstacles by some arab %&&#$ who started throwing rocks at my friend’s car. He got out of the car and shot his rifle into the air. The terrorist kept throwing rocks. He pointed the gun closer in the direction of the arab and shot but to no avail. He pointed the gun straight at him, aiming the trigger and then said “Hashem, if you want this guy dead, you take care of him, for me its not kluhr”. He got back in the car and drove off.
Hashem should help us from m’harsayich umecharvayich, sheomdim alaynu lechaloseinu!
It saddens me that the masses are so easily fooled. First there was the changing of who the hero that shot the terrorist was without explaining the mix up (at least to my knowledge).
Then somehow your average news reporter is able to dig up SERIOUS SECURITY RISK information that the Shin Bet (the FAMOUS Shin Bet that’s supposed to be one of the best in the WORLD of it’s kind) doesn’t know a thing about?! The Shin Bet doesn’t know a thing, but the Politicians and the masses are taking as FACT what Ms. Hasson is saying?!
(OK, I understand that the politicians are out to rally support for their re-elections, but how stupid can the masses be!?!?)
At least, maybe our Mezrachi brothers will wake up and smell the coffee and drop this love affair they have with this wicked Zionist government. If they ban together with us we will have more strength on influencing Klal Yisroel to do Teshuva Shelaima and be zocha to the Geula Shelaima!