Revivo the Elephant Shtreimel? What really happened on Shabbat night in the Ahisamach neighborhood?

November 6, 2021   

Lod Mayor, Attorney Yair Revivo, confronted ultra-Orthodox residents in the Ganei Ayalon neighborhood on Saturday night after they shouted "Shabes" at passing vehicles. Alarming: 751% of those who died from the coronavirus under the age of 60 were not vaccinated Employers can receive a financial incentive of up to NIS 22,250. How? Enter One of the residents said in a conversation with Haredim 10: "There was a celebration. Theoretically, the Lithuanian residents are not interested in such an event because it is inflammatory, but a group of residents decided to provoke secular residents on Shivtei Yisrael Street. This is a street where the even number of Haredim live, and on the other side of the street, the odd number, secular residents live. Further down the street, a kilometer and a half away, the mayor lives. There were some worshippers of the 'Yerushalmi faction' and 'Yerushalmi Pharisees' - who decided to make a mess, so that they would not be comfortable there. This harassment has been going on for a month." On Friday night, the mayor sent a message to the "dear Haredi residents of the Ganei Ayalon neighborhood" on WhatsApp, in which he wrote: "I have an important request to you regarding the shouting of 'shababs' and the roadblocks on Shabbat. This is not our way, this is not a show of face. This is a blasphemy against God. It keeps Jews away from getting to know our pleasant and embracing Judaism. I also know (following inquiries that I have received and I accept) that many of you are opposed to this path. "Know, I am warning - police and inspectors will make sure that such cases do not occur. As residents of the neighborhood, please convey the message to the extreme minority - who are spoiling the neighborhood fabric. Soon I will organize dialogue meetings between the residents of Aura and you, and with God's help we will succeed." The resident adds and says: "The mayor turned to the residents, told them: 'Identify to me who the people are and I will take care of them.' On Friday, the mayor informed residents that he would come to inspect, that the police were enforcing that they not shout 'Shabes.' It is illegal to prevent a person from shouting, because that is freedom of speech. The 'riots' are just shouting. After specific threats against some of the residents who are part of the 'fragment', they were afraid and did not go out to demonstrate. But a group of the 'Jerusalem Pharisees' did go out to demonstrate on Shivtei Yisrael Street. "Every car that passes by, they stand on the sidewalk and shout 'Shabes.' It's not like they throw eggs or anything. The mayor, after the Shabbat service, went out to the street of a city to meet the protesters, he argued with them, the confrontation turned into shouting, and at a certain point the mayor pushed and dropped the shtreimel on one of the residents. The resident pushed back and an argument ensued. "The mayor threatened: 'I will close your synagogue, I will send you inspectors, I will take revenge on you. He said: 'I defeated Hamas, I'll definitely defeat you, I'm not afraid of you.' He didn't defeat any Hamas. The public doesn't like the demonstrations, but they're furious with the mayor: Why is he stirring things up? Why is he coming to the area?" The resident explains: "We're afraid that the secularists from the Aura neighborhood will take revenge on us, karaoke loudly on Shabbat, prostitutes will enter our neighborhood, we won't benefit from it. But his entry was unnecessary and unwise. If he had remained silent, there would have been about seven people shouting. He's sure he's the 'greatest of generations' and everyone needs to hear. He shouted 'Why aren't you listening to me?' He was sure that if he said something, everyone should listen to him. It was funny and not even pleasant." The resident emphasizes: "If he hadn't come and stirred up the story, it would have ended with seven or eight bored, bored people shouting 'I'm sorry' and that's it. The fact that the mayor is coming is stirring up the neighborhood, the public is hot on him and angry with him." Another resident in the neighborhood tells Haredim 10: "On Shabbat night, and basically all night there are shootings in Lod, fear in the street, and he goes to fight with the Avrechim? The rabbi of the Ahisamach neighborhood, Rabbi Broida, who does not support the demonstrations, spoke out in a very serious manner against the mayor." On the other hand, David Bracha, a resident of Ganei Ayalon who was present at the event, reacted sharply to the words that were circulated against Ravivo: "The mayor asked the worshippers who shouted 'Shabes' in moderation and spoke to their hearts. Not only did they not heed his requests, they increased the screaming. The mayor was angry and said that in the city of Lod there has never been anything like this and never will be. "During the debate, one of the Pharisees stepped back and stumbled against a bench, and his shtreimel hat fell off. The mayor did not touch anyone or raise a hand against anyone, and anyone who says so simply continues to hate without reason. We support our dear mayor, who works hard for the Haredi community. What they have received here in two years has not been received by many communities. Overall, we ask that this screaming stop. We are religious and not ready for this." Mayor's Office for Haredim 10: "The mayor personally came to the Ganei Ayalon neighborhood to calm the spirits that almost reached physical violence between the parties. Unfortunately, there are people who are engaged in dividing hearts and trying to slander the mayor as if there was violence. "The mayor stood in the middle and prevented a dangerous deterioration between the parties. The mayor condemns and denounces all physical and verbal violence. It is worth noting that the mayor praises the residents of the Ganei Ayalon neighborhood who behaved with restraint and understood the great sensitivity that must be present in a mixed and complex city where Arabs live alongside Jews and secularists alongside religious and ultra-Orthodox. "However, unfortunately, a very small handful acted on their own, which could lead to a situation of Jewish quarrels. The mayor appeals to all populations in the city to maintain restraint and live alongside each other with sensitivity and understanding and maintaining the status quo. "With the opening of the Ganei Ayalon neighborhood, the mayor granted the public's requests to close the main road in the neighborhood named after Rabbi Elyashiv and at the same time it was agreed with the neighborhood's rabbis that the main road ('Yachad Sheveti Yisrael'), which crosses the neighborhood and connects the parts of the city of Lod, will not be closed on Shabbat, just as main roads are not closed in any city in the country.".