Rabbi Beck'Crap and his Chassidim of London Protesting Netanyahu's Visit in England

 

On Display in Yoav Gallant’s speech were two traits that make him unfit for his job: cowardice and betrayal

 

To borrow the favorite epithet of the demonstrators in the streets of Tel Aviv and other cities, “shame” on Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. 

In an announcement on Saturday night, the Cabinet member charged with the country’s most crucial portfolio called on the government to halt its judicial reform legislation and heal the rifts that have gone so far as to reach the military.

“I hear the voices from the field and I’m worried,” he said, while also urging the opposition to stop the protests to give negotiations a chance. Oh, and to “enable the nation to celebrate Passover and Independence Day together, and to mourn together on Memorial Day and Holocaust Remembrance Day.”

Prominently on display in this speech—which he had planned to deliver on Thursday evening, but refrained from doing so at the request of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—were two traits that make him unfit for his job: 

cowardice and betrayal.

Let’s begin with the former. Faced with the phenomenon of mainly Air Force and Cyber Division reservists threatening and refusing to turn up for military exercises, on the grounds that they wouldn’t serve in a “dictatorship,” Gallant got frightened.

Rather than nipping the subordination in the bud, he met with the men and women in uniform to let them vent their concerns. The cream of the crop of the Israel Defense Forces said that without an end to the “coup d’état” (the protest movement’s misnomer for judicial reforms), the powers that be in Jerusalem can forget about confronting Iran. You know, since there won’t be any pilots or computer geniuses to carry out the operations.

Instead of demanding that the IDF chief of staff warn them that such blackmail will result in their ouster from the IDF, or at least in a stripping of their ranks, Gallant not only conveyed their complaints to Netanyahu; he began, apparently, to see the merits of their point of view.

In other words, he didn’t make it crystal clear that political positions have no place in the army. Nor did he hit home the very points about judicial reform on which he based his campaign in the Likud Party primary—the very ones that earned him a top spot on the Knesset candidates list and subsequently the ministry he coveted.

He was simply too intimidated by the unprecedented situation to know how to handle it. Such gutlessness hardly inspires confidence about his ability to deal with Tehran and its tentacles in Lebanon, Syria and the Palestinian Authority.

Now for the latter attribute Gallant exhibited that makes him unsuitable: extreme disloyalty. Indeed, he took the opportunity of Netanyahu’s trip to London to undermine the arduous efforts of his party and coalition partners in one fell swoop.

That he pulled the stunt a mere 48 hours after the prime minister’s carefully crafted address aimed at calming tensions was particularly egregious. Netanyahu took pains to articulate the purpose of the reforms—to enhance, not harm, Israeli democracy—and assure that all civil and minority rights would be guaranteed in the law.

What the prime minister didn’t do was capitulate. When the opposition responded by stepping up its war, Gallant opted for retreat.

His move was not only dismissive of Netanyahu. It dealt a blow to all the soldiers who shun the mere suggestion of laying down their weapons in protest over policy.

Worse, it sent a disheartening message to the sector of the public that’s been under political, cultural and social assault for electing and continuing to support the Netanyahu-led government. “Shame” doesn’t begin to describe what Gallant should be feeling at the moment.

Ruthie Blum is a Tel Aviv-based columnist and commentator. She writes and lectures on Israeli politics and culture, as well as on U.S.-Israel relations. The winner of the Louis Rappaport award for excellence in commentary, she is the author of the book “To Hell in a Handbasket: Carter, Obama, and the ‘Arab Spring.’ ”

Gallant in his Evil Wickedness Extends Administrative Detention of Young Jewish Man on Eve of his Wedding

 

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday morning extended the administrative detention of Avraham Yair Yared, a resident of Samaria, by an additional 3 months, just hours before he was to be released from a 4-month administrative detention, Kol Barama Radio reporter Mendi Rizel tweeted. Yared was going to get married next month, but the extension of his detention postponed the wedding yet again.

“By the way, last night’s terrorist from Huawara is still at large,” Rizel noted

Avraham is the brother of Elisha Yared, the spokesman for Otzma Yehudit MK Limor Son Har Melech.

Four months ago, Yared was arrested on an administrative arrest warrant, despite a court ruling to release him. He was scheduled to be released from administrative custody Sunday morning when Minister Gallant decreed that he remain behind bars – without charges against him.

Yared’s parents attacked the defense minister Sunday morning, saying: “One day after a third shooting attack in Huawara, while in the settlements of Samaria, we are counting the murdered and the wounded, we were informed this morning that the defense minister, who has practically abandoned us in recent months, decided to show his determination against his kin and in an act of unimaginable evil extended the administrative detention for another three months.”

“This breaks new records of evil and wickedness on the part of a defense minister who was elected by right-wing voters, and managed in a short time to earn the dubious title of holding the largest number of Jews in administrative detention in the past 30 years,” Yared’s parents continued. “As residents of Samaria that you abandoned to their fate and as the parents of a boy who experienced your criminal policy firsthand, we call on you: give back the keys and go home today. You failed miserably and destroyed with your own hands the right’s election achievement while completely joining the left.”

Honenu attorney Adi Keidar stated: “Minister Gallant should be precluded from making decisions regarding administrative detentions as long as his own conduct in the field endangers the lives of civilians in Judea and Samaria and castrates the ability of the soldiers in the field.”

Skverer Boys Dancing Around the Chasan

Chassidishe Rebbe Starts New "Mitzvah Tantz" Minhag

 

Zera Shimshon Parshas Va'Yikra

 

Massive Protest against Bnei Brak Residents Backfires as Residents Hand Cholent To Protesters, One Cries After Hearing ‘Shalom Aleichem’

 

THIS is what it’s all about.
Maybe the Bnei Brakers should branch out to Tel Aviv.
When you hit a Yid with Ahavat Yisrael, they can’t help but give in.

What a Kiddush Hashem. The video of the man crying while singing Sholom Aleicheim is a pure example of the Chazal that says “Yisroel af al Pi shechota, Yisroel hu”.
Giving cholent and dancing with Yidden is sure to make many chilonim reconsider what they think we are.
Achdus, on whatever level possible, is beloved by Hashem and insures our safety from those that truly hate us and want to destroy us.

The attempts by demonstrators marching from Tel Aviv to Bnei Brak to create provocations have so far failed to elicit a similar response from Chareidim. Many Bnei Brak residents prepared special food tents for them and offered them drinks and cholent and in some cases even danced together with them.

The cordial atmosphere led to the demonstrators and chareidim speaking with genuine friendship to one another, as evident in the following clips:

בני ברק, הערב pic.twitter.com/ZGHNwTSSY1   

— ינון מגל (@YinonMagal) March 23, 2023

כזה מרגש עוד לא ראיתם ❤️❤️❤️
עכשיו בבני ברק מפגין בקש להחזיק את ספר התורה שהוציאו תושבי בני ברק pic.twitter.com/QVCgWO6hvp

— Yael Zien יעל צין (@YaelZien) March 23, 2023

רגע מרגש בהפגנה בבני ברק: חרדים, מסורתיים ומפגיני מחאת קפלן בריקוד משותף עם דגלי ישראל ברחובות העיר: ״אנחנו מאמינים בני מאמינים״ pic.twitter.com/zpDDtjqA9y

— ישראל כהן (@Israelcohen911) March 23, 2023

 

מחכים למפגינים: תושבי בני ברק נערכו עם סירי צ'ולנט לקראת הגעת המוחים לעיר@AkivaWeisz pic.twitter.com/YxrU8VXFmv

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) March 23, 2023

Zionist rabbis to students: Join pro-reform campaign 'We have an obligation to disprove the lies.'

 

Senior rabbanim from the Religious-Zionist community, including Rabbi Dov Lior, Rabbi Chaim Steiner, Rabbi David Chai Hacoheh, Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, and Rabbi Yigal Levinstein, have issued a call to students in Religious-Zionist yeshivot to go out and stand at the crossroads and mobilize for a public awareness campaign designed to explain exactly what the government's judicial reform package contains and why it is so important.

In their letter, the rabbis stress the importance of the yeshivah students going out onto the streets and joining the effort of the national camp to present the issues in an accurate, informative, and compelling manner.

"Unfortunately, there is a small group of anarchists which receives donations from abroad to disseminate lies about the government using all the tools of mass media, to convey the impression that these reforms will turn the country into a dictatorship, that Israel will turn into Iran and women will be enslaved," they write. "It's as if right-wing and religious voters are incapable of independent thought, as if there are no genuine problems with the judiciary -- as if the entire goal is to extricate the prime minister from his trial.

"We are obligated to mobilize in support of fixing the broken judicial system here," they continue. "We must also help all those who innocently believe the propaganda, and enable them to see the truth. Each and every person should do whatever he can -- standing at crossroads with signs, giving explanations, donating money. Each one of us must do his part, and together we will prevail."

Meanwhile, the headquarters of the pro-reform movement issued a statement saying: "At this time, when our great rabbis are mobilizing for this important battle, we call on yeshivah students to go into action, and we will do everything we can to help them reach the crossroads and mobilize in order to disprove the lie that the reforms will turn Israel into a dictatorship. We call for everyone to do what he can so that the movement should succeed, especially now that the yeshivot have started their Passover recess."

On Wednesday, hundreds of right-wing activists took to the bridges across the country to demonstrate their support for the government's judicial reform program. Hundreds of placards were hung, reading: "The people voted for reform, support the reforms and come out to the bridges," as well as, "Put a stop to Supreme Court rule - Reform Now."

Placards were also hung on dozens of roads and at intersections all over the country, many showing pictures of Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Constitution Committee chairman MK Simcha Rothman, with the legend, "Yariv, Rothman, the People are with you! 2,304,964 citizens voted for the reforms to fix the judiciary."

Also on Wednesday, the pro-reform movement hung a huge billboard outside a hotel at the entrance to Jerusalem, and another one near the Azrieli Center in Tel Aviv.

Leftist Anarchists Now Moving Their Massive Protests to Bnei-Brak

 

A massive protest march is being planned for Thursday evening in Bnei Brak, with police deploying huge contingents in the hope of preventing the event from descending into violence. Protesters have already clashed with police in the course of their "Day of National Paralysis," with dozens arrested.

However, the decision to hold a protest in Bnei Brak, a majority haredi city, has apparently split the protest movement, with one prominent organization within it, the "Standing Together" group, disassociating itself from the march and planning an alternative protest in Tel Aviv.

The Standing Together group issued a statement saying: "Our struggle is against the policies of the government, not against any community. The protests against the haredi residents of Bnei Brak are illegitimate and mistaken, as they pit people against each other instead of the people against the regime. All of us -- religious and secular, Jews and Arabs, those in the center of the country and those in the periphery -- all of us have the same interest as this government is harming us all. We will make a stand in the streets against this out-of-touch and tone-deaf government and declare: This country belongs to us all."

The group added that, "Standing Together will be holding an alternative demonstration at seven p.m. at Dizengoff Square in Tel Aviv, in the wake of the decision by some of the protest's organizers to march in Bnei Brak."

Meanwhile, Bnei Brak Mayor Avraham Rubinstein was interviewed on Galei Tzahal (Army Radio), and expressed his disappointment that Israel Police was allowing the march through Bnei Brak to go ahead.

"The protesters are trying to force the haredi community to take sides, despite their wish to remain on the fence," he said. "The haredi community doesn't want to be dragged into this, but they are bringing it to our homes. If the police had an iota of sense they would tell the protesters: Excuse me, but this is not the place for this."

Prime Minister Netanyahu has appealed to haredi leaders to ensure that the protest in Bnei Brak does not degenerate into open conflict between protesters and residents, praising Bnei Brak's rabbis for issuing proclamations telling the city's residents to keep their distance and not engage with the protesters.

When Only One Victim Comes Forward

Sarah Ruth Hoffman

About the Author

 Sarah Ruth Hoffman was a doctoral student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill when an older male rabbi (now suspended by his rabbinical association) groomed, raped, and abused her. She has since completed the PhD and converted to Orthodox Judaism. She continues to write as part of her healing, and she often writes what she would have found comforting and useful to read during her lengthy exodus from the ongoing sexual violence that was inextricably linked to roles and scripts in Jewish institutions. She hopes that this blog will help the public to understand the dynamics of clergy sexual abuse, whether the victims are adults, or children. Much of what is written can apply to non-clergy relationships as well. If any one person is helped by any of what is written, then the purpose of this blog has been fulfilled.

 One of the most traumatic aspects of my rabbinic abuse case was the fact that I was the only one to come forward. During my abuse, I learned of many other victims, past and present, some in great detail. When I reported, I was able to name and give contact information for at least half a dozen other women, including female rabbis. But none of them, to my knowledge, wanted to hold him accountable. Why?

It’s been five years, and I’ve done a lot of thinking on this issue. I’ve come to the conclusion that it all goes back to the abuser, but not in the way that you might expect. That is, it’s not just that the abuser is so good at grooming and manipulating people that none of the victims want to come forward. It’s actually deeper and more sophisticated than that.

The Low-Risk Target

I now understand that the abuser intentionally selects the types of people that are least likely to report him or to cooperate with an investigation in the first place.