Israel Matzav

'Relative calm'?

I looked in vain on Sunday morning to see what happened at the Western Wall. Today, Sunday, is Rosh Chodesh, the day each month that the 'Women of the Wall' show up to do their thing in front of television cameras and the New York Times. Last month, thousands of Haredim showed up and drowned them out. The JPost is reporting that Sunday morning's prayers passed with 'relative calm.'

A few hundreds of haredim demonstrated the WoW monthly Kotel prayer service with signs calling the group "Provocation Women," attempting to disrupt the prayer by booing and jeering at the women.

"You have made up a new religion. Go ahead, build a new modern wall!" signs raised by haredim said.

Two protesters were arrested after one threw an egg at police forces and the other threw a bottle.

Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz issued a statement on Sunday morning condemning the haredi protest at the wall, asking all involved parties to work to find a solution to the dispute "that doesn't honor the holy site and the people of Israel."

According to police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld, Jerusalem Police planned a heavy presence in the area to ensure the demonstration, that was expected to draw thousands, does not escalate into violence, as it did during last month’s Women of the Wall Rosh Hodesh service, resulting in injuries and multiple arrests of haredim.

“Sunday morning, police will be at the scene to ensure no incidents take place and we will escort members of Women of the Wall in and out of the area,” said Rosenfeld on Saturday evening.

“We are expecting at least several hundred people from the haredi community and will be fully prepared to deal with any public disturbances, if necessary.”

Sunday’s protest was approved by the senior haredi rabbinic leadership, with the caveat that attendees behave “in accordance with the Torah,” ....

Yated Ne’eman reported on Thursday that in an effort to curtail repeated violence, the haredi leadership requested that only married yeshiva students and adults attend the demonstration, and asked younger men and boys to stay at home.

But what they're not telling you is that the police actually closed the Western Wall to worshipers for at least half an hour.

Let's go to the videotape.

Much more - including many pictures - here (text in Hebrew).

And for those of you who are sitting overseas thinking you have all the answers, please consider this comment that was posted to the JPost article.

Los Angeles is so far it doesn't mean anything to us over here. You want to have an impact, you have to be here. Talk from LA is just talk to make yourselves feel better.

Indeed. 

Labels: Jerusalem, Kotel plaza, Rosh Chodesh, Western Wall, Women of the Wall

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:22 AM