Israel Police rescue Beit Shemesh mayor from violent haredi protest ...(With Their Tacit Rabbinic Moronic Approval)
Ultra-Orthodox protestors besieged Mayor Aliza Bloch at a haredi school while she attended an opening ceremony.
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| The city of Beit Shemesh had effectively erased its woman elected to be mayor: Aliza Bloch. |
Israel Police were forced to rescue Beit Shemesh Mayor Aliza Bloch on Tuesday night after ultra-Orthodox protestors besieged her, rioting and smashing the windows of her car, according to an Israel Police spokesperson.
The protestors gathered in Ramat Beit Shemesh to violently protest Bloch's arrival for a tour of a new ultra-Orthodox school building that is set to open in the coming school year.
The protestors threw objects at the building and set fires near the school compound as well as throwing stones at police officers who were on the scene, injuring one.
Due to the violence that erupted, Bloch was stuck inside the building for roughly 30 minutes. She was later ushered safely out the back door by police officers.
A couple of hours later, Bloch released a video saying that she knew her attackers represented only a small group among the ultra-Orthodox community and that she wouldn't let them scare her from continuing her work as mayor.
“I spoke last night with Beit Shemesh Mayor Aliza Bloch after the violent attack she experienced," said Health and Interior Minister Moshe Arbel (Shas) on Wednesday morning. "Violence is a sick evil that must be uprooted. I expect law enforcement to act immediately to protect local elected officials from anyone who raises a hand to them."
“I supported Beit Shemesh's Mayor Aliza Bloch this morning following the difficult incident last night," said National Unity leader Benny Gantz on Wednesday morning. "Aliza is an example of a public figure who serves all parts of society - religious, secular, and all Beit Shemesh residents as they are. The extremists' behavior toward her is not only condemnable, but it also endangers and harms Israeli solidarity.
"For years, I've said that Beit Shemesh is a case study of Israeli society with its diverse population, and in this test, we must succeed as one people."
President Yitzhak Herzog spoke to Bloch after she was attacked last night.
“The president strengthened the mayor and strongly condemned the violence shown towards her and emphasized that this is unacceptable and intolerable,” his office said.
MK Ohad Tal (Religious Zionism) expressed support for Bloch, tweeting “The brutal violence directed last night against Beit Shemesh Mayor Aliza Bloch is a shocking event that should not become a norm. Here too, we must not let a handful of violent extremists rule us. The enforcement agencies must punish those violators.”
The mayor of nearby Modi’in Haim Bibas, wrote “I condemn any harm to local government officials. This dangerous phenomenon must be stopped immediately. Violent extremists must not be allowed to harm heads of authorities and candidates from all sectors. The enforcement agencies should act so that there are no more cases like the severe attack experienced yesterday by the mayor of Beit Shemesh, especially these days as we approach the elections for the local authorities.”
Municipal elections are scheduled for October 31 and have already seen heavy partisanship. Yesh Atid and Otzma Yehudit have forbidden their candidates from joining a coalition with the other.
Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai, who is running for re-election alongside former New York consul general Asaf Zamir, and who represents the mostly secular White City, seemed to draw parallels to the current state of politics, writing “Mayors and authorities became targets for harm and elimination. Yesterday evening it was the mayor of Beit Shemesh who was forced to barricade herself in the school building she visited. Such things can happen in a place where democracy and human rights are not respected.”