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The police in Jerusalem is very nervous lately. They have sure threats that during the upcoming Gay Pride Parade in Jerusalem there will be attacks on participants. The groups are organized and in some reports are supposed to have prepared “ammunition” including razor blade packed fruit, fire bombs and harsher stuff. The police have admitted they are considering calling the parade off, in essence admitting that the ratio of 250,000 religious fanatics to 10,000 cops is not a great ratio. There are supposed to be 5,000 participants in the parade and so that puts the ratio at 2:1, Police to participant.
I found this 2002 article covering the parade with then mayor Olmert:
“Mayor Ehud Olmert tried to convince organizers to hold the event in Tel Aviv, and seemed to regret his country’s system of government when he said that he had to allow the march to take place due to the rules of democracy. Ultra religious groups threatened to stop the march by “all means” including the flinging of rotten vegetables, but opted merely to boycott. The High Court of Justice had to force the dominantly Orthodox Jewish city to provide services, including police protection.”
So nothing much has changed, if anything maybe things got worse. ..
Last night 7 police officers were injured in a giant demonstration against the upcoming parade. Police officers were injured by rocks, pipes and acid thrown at them. The organizers of these demonstrations are warning of far worse the day of the parade and the police is still considering the options.
I am bothered by this, and not for any special feelings either way, but because this coincides so closely with another event. We are about to remember Yitzhak Rabin’s death. A murder brought on by severe differences of opinion and radical behavior by a group of people who felt that violence would solve all problems. I don’t think it has.
What’s worse is that we lost something that day and we passed a barrier or dropped to a new low. It was okay to kill and wound people for differences of opinion and it was acceptable to use violence to settle arguments or force an opinion on another group. 11 years after we crossed the barrier we see the results of that first act of violence - again and again….
6 Comments
I don’t think so either.
“For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” James 1:20
The Orthodox and religious fanatics should come together to be sure their praise is LOUDER and not be provoked to violence.
Taking everything into consideration, let the Gays have
Tel Aviv. Jerusalem deserves something else. Holiness.
Amen Ed!!! God’s chosen city should be reserved for holiness; no ifs, ands or Butts. (pun not originally intended, but it works
)
VA, “Provoked to violence” - um, is that like a woman “asking” to be raped?! Don’t people have self control? Why don’t the Orthodox just stay away from the march? The kind of violent behavior that the Orthodox are threatening is FAR from anything holy and should not take place in Jerusalem or any other place on Earth.
I see no reason for the gays to be marching in Jerusalem, other than to intentionally provoke the religious.
It’s not like the religious are going into the gay bars, clubs etc. and attempting to inflict their views upon the gays.
In other words, gays are committing the very thing they are marching against. How can anyone respect that?
Here’s a letter that’s being sent around to various Jerusallem shuls opposing the violence that is being encouraged to take place at the Gay Pride Parade next Friday. I’m not sure which congregations are signing, some of them just got it tonight, but I do know that Kehilat Yedidya is signing (I’m on the board and confirmed this with one of the co-chairs over Shabbat). I’m also not sure where it will appear, but I assume it will be in one or more Israeli newspaper.
I couldn’t find it online anyplace but at the below link. It’s only in Hebrew, but basically iit says that we condemn the calls for violence.
http://www.hashkafah.com/index.php?showtopic=31674&st=0&#entry697533
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