Saturday, July 18, 2009

High Tensions but no Riots

B"H

I am just coming back from walking a whole round through HaNevi'vim Street / junction Shivtei Israel, right near the Toldot Aharon Synagogue.

There were people standing at the entrance of Mea Shearim Street but no demonstration took place. A little further, where Shivtei Israel Street leads into the main road up to Ma'alot Dafna, Ramat Eshkol and the French Hill: Toldot Aharon boys (age around Bar Mitzvah) were blocking the road leading into Shivtei Israel. They just set up the Shabbat metal barriers and only let cars pass after talking to the driver and checking him out.
"What a Chutzpah ?, I thought. What do those kids have to say at all and where were the parents ?"
A few adults from different haredi directions were watching the scene but none of them interfered. A few minutes later, police and an army patrol (border police MAGAV) came and put away the barriers. Two minutes after the cops were gone, the Toldot Aharon kids set up the barriers again.

After a while I reached Bar Ilan Street. Junction Bar Ilan, Sanhedria, main road to Ramot.

Everything was quiet but extremely tense.
A police car was standing nearby and two cops were watching. Already from far away I saw the traffic and knew that nothing is going on. No blocking the road, no riots.

I crossed the main road into Bar Ilan and noticed that there was no traffic light. All the traffic lights were gone and the wires pulled out. Half of Bar Ilan Street is without traffic lights. Everything is destroyed. Garbage is floating all over the street. The junction itself is full of broken glass.

I turned into a street leading back into Ge'ulah. I passed a Kretchnif Midrash and Yeshivat Kamenitz.
Back in Yechezkel Street and the garbage is just everywhere. Before I got to Kikar Shabbat, I saw two green trash cans laying in the street and melted down. The municipality is fed up and, so far, doesn't provide those haredi neighbourhoods with new trash cans. Thus, the garbage bags are in the streets. Piles of garbage bags and loose garbage. You sometimes have to climb over it. At least the rats will have a great meal.

Pashkevilim (news posters) everywhere and one poster proclaimed the arrested woman as "Eshet Chayil - honourable woman" who is innocent and just a victim of the social workers.

It says that the Edah HaCharedit has ordered its members to be quiet tonight. It looks like it will be but what about those tons of garbage ?

3 comments:

  1. I know the Haredi community is close, however, with all the attention this case has had, wouldn't you think that the Doctors are being very careful. I find it hard to believe that they did this without cause. And, the reports say that once the mother was removed the child was thriving. The really frightening thing, is if she really does have a problem and the rioting succeeds in exonerating her. If a child dies--then what? I can't make a judgment either way, but I can't help but feel sad that people are rioting for their own principles and the child is really not considered. Very sad case.

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  2. B"H

    It is a very sad case and in my opinion, it still should have been handled in a different way.

    Until now, the Edah HaCharedit is denying any mental problem of the mother. However, if she is really suffering from whatever mental problem, her society should have been aware of it and solved it. I find it sad that everyone just looks away.

    I am convinced that the doctors saved the child's life but still, shouldn't they have it realized some time ago ?

    I don't know what to believe anymore !

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