(VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)
There are shouts in the night, harassment of children, pulling of head coverings from the heads of married women, throwing stones and beating of Yeshiva bochurim – these are some of the horrific incidents described in the conversation with Bechadrei Chareidim by chareidi residents who live near Rival Street in Ramat Bet Shemesh Bet, referring to the delinquent youths who roam the streets in order to cause riots and terrorize residents.
Then there are the actions of extremist Chareidim, who have taken matters into their own hands in the battle against the youth, referred to as ‘shabavnikim.’
A video documenting a 16-year-old girl who ran for her life in Beit Shemesh was released a week ago and caused a great uproar in the Israeli media. The documentation led to many condemnations, and Mayor Moshe Abutbul explained that the girl’s pursuers belonged to a small and radical chareidi extremists referred to as ‘Sikrikim’ that was embittering lives of residents. However, the report reveals that the opposition to the frenzied youth phenomenon in the streets of Beit Shemesh are rather ostensibly normative chareidi residents, as revealed in their testimony.
In a conversation with Bechadrei, the residents accuse Mayor Abutbul of evading responsibility, and instead of removing the phenomenon that is causing panic, he accuses those who confront the boys and girls roaming the streets. Residents say they are aware that when there is one protest or another, the extremists join in. However, the protests are often initiated or approved of by the normative factions.
Relating to the Sikirikim, Abutbul said “This is an extremist group whose actions even the police cannot anticipate and cannot control,” Abutbul said in an interview with Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) after the video of the chase after the girl was published. They mayor intensified his position, adding, “I do not need such residents.”
In an interview with Ayala Hasson on Radio 103, Abutbul reiterated, “It is the same faction that makes life difficult for us. This is a small, noisy group with whom we have no direct connection. The rabbis are also fighting this group because they are also causing them embarrassment – this is not the way of Torah.”
“The children and the mother fled in terror”
However, the report adds that other residents are also opposed to the phenomenon of the delinquent youth, who are rampant in the streets. Moshe G., a resident of the neighborhood, spoke with Bechadrei and said that over the past half year, the rampant youth phenomenon was on the back burner, so to speak. “They were walking around the neighborhood, sitting in Rival Square, occasionally harassing the residents, but it did not happen much. The rabbis were in contact with the parents of some of the girls, who took it upon themselves to try and calm the situation.”
But in the past two months he says, the situation has worsened. “Children have become afraid to leave home, fearing that they would be harassed, and most of the harassment was at night,” he said. He explains that they began coming at night, arriving with dogs, one without a leash. He adds that people are fearful of the dogs, running for their lives, adding, “A woman who passed was attacked and her hair covering pulled off. My sister-in-law was sitting in the park located between Rival and Rivaz Streets during the evening hours, when suddenly, a boy arrived with a dog, released the dog on the children, who of course panicked and ran away in terror”.
According to the resident of the neighborhood, a number of requests were made to the police, and indeed a police car arrived at the scene. The policemen separated the troublemakers from the people, and they left the scene. “Last Sunday, after the anger of the residents reached a peak, a number of residents beat one of the youths, who then filed a complaint with the police against them, giving police four names, one of whom was arrested and brought to court. He was detained for two days and then he was released.
“Abandoned us completely”
According to other residents, the city’s rabbis, Rabbi Nosson Kupshitz and Rabbi Rotenberg were in contact with the police, and last Thursday they reached an agreement that no more demonstrations would be held by the residents. At the same time, they received a commitment from police to increase their presence to maintain order in the community. They add that last Wednesday, a planned protest was not held in keeping with their commitment to police, but on Tisha B’Av, the youths gathered in the square. Some 50 youths gathered on Rival and began throwing stones and chasing after passersby. People ran into the nearby shul for cover. They phoned police, but they did not arrive for some time.
“An avreich from the Cheftziba neighborhood happened to pass by and was attacked and beaten badly. Vehicles were damaged and when police arrived, one youth who was holding a stick was detained. The youths dispersed” David A., a community resident, added.
Another community resident, Moshe G. is quoted explaining “we have been abandoned despite keeping up our promise to police. The disturbances continue, and they have even gotten worse. I fear sending my daughter outside to the grocery store. I don’t know who will be waiting for her downstairs”.
Nine arrests were made: “They are disrupting our lives”
Tzion District Police Chief Ofir Shomer has taken steps and police are monitoring the situation since Sunday, 10 Menachem Av. Since then some of the delinquent youths were arrested, one who was apprehended with a metal rod in his hand. Beit Shemesh police are under the Tzion district’s jurisdiction, and they are responsible for the area security including its residents.
“We will not permit anyone taking part in the violence to slip through our fingers, those participating in serious disturbances and disrupting and harming the lives of citizens. Regarding those suspects, we will use all means at our disposal and we will bring them in and investigate their actions,” said an officer assigned to the Tzion district.
We are dealing with youths averaging in age from 15-17, and when arrested, a decision is made if they are to be held overnight and arraigned the following day, at which time the decision is made to extend their detention or to release them with restrictions. Police are signaling that a major operation is going to take place, a continuation of efforts which began last week. A total of eleven arrests have been made and police are planning to throw the book at the suspects, using the full weight of the law against them in addition to efforts to bring an end to the violence in the streets.
Bechadrei Chareidim quotes Mayor Moshe Abutbul, who saw the video and was simply outraged, calling on police to go after these youths with a mighty fist, to throw the book at them, those responsible for threatening and harming residents.
Regarding the claims made by residents, the mayor explains there is another side to the coin, citing there are youths from the community who are violent, using violence against chareidim and he has called on police to act against them as well. Hence, police have reviewed video and plan to apprehend those involved and bring them to justice as well.
The mayor added, “Violence is prohibited and illegal, and from both a halachic and legal standpoint.” The mayor condemns any and all forms of violence against any citizen in the city and calls on police to deal with the violence severely, also calling on local authorities that deal with troubled youths to step in as well towards bringing an end to the violence in the community.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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21 Responses
A couple of arrests, disallowing visits from family, meager accommodations for them, and a process to deport them to Gaza. That might go a long way to telling these Jewish terrorists that their behavior is against anything that Yiddishkeit and Torah stand for. I suggest they are engaging in such lifestyles without leadership. But if they have a leader, he should be arrested and prosecuted under the laws about terrorism.
Put lots of cameras for a start…
If it is Jewish deliquents, why does your article show the picture of screaming yerushalmis instead of the deliquents?
ASHREINU V’TOV CHELKEINU THAT EVEN IN THIS LOWLY IMPURE GENERATION, HASHEM STILL LEFT OVER FOR US A GLIMPSE OF REAL YEREI SHAMAYIM , G-D FEARING YIDDEN WHO WONT TOLERATE A IOTA OF THE DOWNFALL AND IMPURITY OF THIS GENERATION
WHEN YOUR TEAM LOSES YOU SCREAM, WHEN YOU GET ATTACKED AND BEATEN YOU SCREAM AND YOU DON’T MAKE CHESHBONOS HOW TO SCREAM, IF IT HURTS YOU SCREAM.
LACK OF SHEMIRAS HAMITZVOS HURTS THESE PEOPLE SO THEY THEY SCREAM, IF YOU CANT UNDERSTAND IT THEN THAT JUST MEANS YOU ARE ON A VERY VERY LOW SPIRITUAL LEVEL AND COMPLETELY NUMB TO LACK OF HOLINESS
This is what happens when u let sikrikim control thr streets and the mayor does absolutely nothing!. Karma will come bite you when u least expect it.
There is nothing about this story that makes sense. The word “few” is used to describe an assembled group of allegedly 50? The alleged ages range from 15 to 17 yet they have attack dogs? Where are the parents here? Hows do these alleged teenagers (presumably with no income) obtain food?
I cannot tell if jack p is being sarcastic, so I won’t remark further.
I think you mean ‘mayhem’, not mayem, which is not a word.
This article is False! Reminiscent of Palestinian Propaganda! Fact is, the Extremist Chareidi have been terrorizing throwing rocks chasing screaming at anyone who looks modern or like a soldier. The Extremist Chareidi think anyone modern has no right to walk Streets in Ramat Brit Shemesh. When modern people try to DEFEND THEMSELVES AFTER MONTHS of Attacks, the Chareidi extremists falsely accuse the Modern people of violence just as Palestinians do to Israelis. The Chareidi Extremist Rioters are exactly like Arab Goyish youth!
The “Delinquints” are MODERN LOOKING PEOPLE and Soldiers who have been Terrorized and Harrassed by Chareidi Extremists for Months! WHY ARE CHAREIDI EXTREMISTS ROAMING STREETS, INSTEAD OF BAIS MEDRASH Since That’s their Excuse they’re not in Army?! Because most Chareidi Extremists don’t Learn all day and night and Lie on the Draft Exemptions, which is why they’re Rioting to not to have to fill out Exemptions!
These young who sadly make such riot stuff like scaring young and …..
These young should either go studying at school or Yeshiva or work or send them to army to defend Holy Land. I think boredom of these young caused such a consequence.
Shalom to Holy Land
Club house?
Table tennis?
Yes!
the religious extremists are dangerous to every one. The fallouts fell out because they did not get the proper attention from their families and now resent frum poople. I don’t blame them too much….
Abutbol condones these thugs. They are his supporters, so I don’t see appealing to this hypocrite will achieve anything. It will be an all out war on the streets if they don’t back off, & I have zero sympathy or any of the perpetrators. They are animals.
The little you know, yes, right, leave the reshoim alone, go after those who oppose you?!? Please, go learn some Torah and find out what it says. Start with Brochos 20A.
George’s, I at least partially agree with Jack P.
I meant “ oppose them”.
This is a situation where everyone is right and everyone is wrong. These children did not fall out of the sky. They are the children of people who live in the area. Each one has a story and the story is not a happy or nice one. They have suffered abuse, violence and rejection. They are angry and, being children, act out their anger in stupid ways. Nevertheless, people have a right to live in peace and not be afraid to walk the streets. A way must be found to end this confrontation. Beating them, calling them names or further pushing them out will not improve their story. It will only add more anger. We must first acknowledge that they are our children and not space aliens from another planet. We have a responsibility towards them as great as to our own children. We must not answer their anger with our own anger. They are children and we are the adults. Those that can should initiate conversations. Try talking to one of them and find out what happened. Maybe you can help and maybe not. What is important is to talk and not scream or attack. For some, just having someone listen in kindness can help.
So I live in Bet Shemesh, one block from where this is going on …. and let me tell you what’s going on…. This “story” took place in Ramat Bet Shemesh B …..The fanatical crazies are by the way supported by the majority of the people living there ….. the OTD teenagers are giving them back what they by in large took for years ….and the residents are upset because now the proverbial shoe is on the other foot ….
There is not a building tin this area hat doesn’t have anti-women graffiti painted all over … and everytime the city cleans it up the uncivilized crazed fanatics paint it back on …… what’s interesting is that in the couple of blocks that have business’ ,there is no graffiti because they need the business from residents that live in Bet Shemesh proper and Bet Shemesh A. The teenagers hanging out, are basically very quiet and don’t bother anyone … the story in this article which appeared in Be’Chadrei Chadorim, is basically false… the residents just dont want them there …. but instead of being me’kareiv them they scream at them … so now the OTD community got together and decided to hang out there to pay them back for chasing that girl… BTW these teenagers are children of people that live right there in Bet Shemesh B…… so what goes around comes around!
Mr. Zelasko, a beautiful example of dan lechaf zechus, except that just like you and me, these youth also have a yetzer tov and a yetzer hara. They may be angry, but they still know that it’s wrong to attack people with metal rods and to set dogs on terrified children. Let’s say they suffered abuse. Does that destroy their moral compass? I’m sure we all know plenty of people who have suffered greatly but don’t cause others to suffer in “revenge.”
If it’s your kid, take responsibility – I would imagine that if it was your kid who’s scared to go to the playground, you would not be having heart-to-heart talks with someone who would 99% certainly just laugh – and maybe spit – in your face.
If it was your wife who had her head covering pulled off when she was walking down the street, would you also be so understanding and “kind”? It takes a certain type of rishus to do such things and suffering abuse is no excuse.
Sorry but the word you used “sikrikin” means something different
see gemura gitin 56:
לא היה
סיקרייקון בהרוגי מלחמה בהרוגי ביהודה
and see rashi
סיקרייקון עובד כוכבים רוצח שנותן לו ישראל קרקע בפדיון נפשו ואומר לו שא קרקע זו ואל תמיתני
mr. georgeg , i’m dead serious,
you meet these people personally they’re the nicest people in the world
this is just their outcry against chilul shamayim