Some 200 Ethiopian Jews living in absorption centers throughout Israel demonstrated in front of the Knesset Tuesday to protest their living conditions. They wish to leave the centers and to receive normal apartments. They said being stuck in absorption facilities for a long time actually interferes with their absorption.
At some point, the demonstration got out of hand and the demonstrators walked down to Kaplan Road, through which much of the traffic goes to the cluster of government buildings in the area, and prevented cars from getting by.
Police forces removed them quickly and brutally.
It’s a job.
In my life I’ve already learned that, sooner or later, we all find ourselves in the position of the gentleman directly below the policeman’s knee. Nothing to be done about it. Keeping to yourself and avoiding conflict won’t do it either. It’s like death and taxes – we all get there, whether we do everything quietly and by the book or explode on a daily basis.
To paraphrase the gemorah in Shabbat 31a: Rava said, When man is led in for Judgment he is asked: Did you deal faithfully? Did you set times for learning? Did you engage in procreation? Did you hope for salvation? Did you engage in the dialectics of wisdom? Did you understand one thing from another? Did you discover your head pressed down by a policeman’s knee?
Then you’re good to go.