A little context and we’ll get started: in many Haredi communities, local rabbis have outlawed several cell phone models which were previously considered “kosher,” meaning you couldn’t get internet service on them. But since some of them feature email and texting, they are considered treif, and the rabbis in question demand that cell phone stores serving the Haredi community get rid of their stock and stick with a shortlist of approved models. Some vendors are resisting, resulting in demonstrations and even attacks on their stores by groups of Haredim who are not familiar with the concept, spelled out by Hameiri (Hulin 49b): “It is not appropriate for a sage to be too pious and to court the Chumras (severities) too much, but he should have pity on the money of the Jewish people.” That’s all the background you need, now for the promised blatant show of police violence.
Watch the wide video under the top one in the tweet below, starting at 0:40 minutes. In the left third of the picture, there’s a young Haredi man who speaks to the plainclothes cops inside a patrol car, telling them they just scraped a parked car on this crowded Jerusalem street because of their unique style of carefree driving. The cop in the driver’s seat gets out and basically tells the young man to mind his own business. The cop returns to his car and drives a few yards while the man continues to protest – and then the angry cop steps out, chases the man across the street, shoves him against a parked car, a female cop joins in and together with additional guardians of law and order they beat him up with great vigor while pushing away pedestrians who try to stop them.
העצור שבסרטון היה במקום והעיר לשוטר שאינו יכול לפגוע כך ברכב ולהמשיך. אחד הבלשים ברכב התעצבן על ההערות והחליט לרדת ולעצור את הבחור. עימות התפתח ובהמשך המעצר האלים תועד אחד הבלשים נותן לו מכת אגרוף לפניו. הבחור בילה את הלילה במעצר
>>
תיעוד ממצלמות אבטחה על התקרית לפני המעצר pic.twitter.com/8bHwv2MvDL
— Haim Goldich | חיים גולדיטש (@HGoldich)
Here’s a different angle:
בלשים עצרו אתמול בצהריים צעיר חרדי בגאולה שכל חטאו שהעז להעיר לבלש בניידת שהוא פגע ברכב אחר בתגובה הוא נעצר באלימות מטורפת. המשטרה העלתה כעת את העצור לבית משפט וטוענת שהוא השתתף בהפגנה ותקף שוטר. השופטת גלגלה את המשטרה ושחררה אותו ללא שום תנאי והעבירה ביקורת קשה על התנהלות המשטרה pic.twitter.com/cjTFstwz4Q
— חיים גולדברג (@haim_goldberg)
OK, that took place last Wednesday. Now, remember the scientific process to identify whether the chief of police is lying? All it takes is focus: watch him during, say, a press conference, and concentrate on the lower part of his face – if his lips start moving it means he’s lying. With that in mind, here’s how the Jerusalem Police described the event you’ve just watched (I translated the entire statement):
“Yesterday, there was a violent disturbance in Jerusalem against the vendors at cellular stores, which followed the violence and improper threats directed at them during the recent period in violation of the law. Dozens of law and order violators violated the public order while damaging a cellular store at the site and blocking the traffic lane. During the incident, undercover police were called to the scene to assist with the forces who were operating there. During their ride, a few meters before the scene of the disturbance, the police vehicle hit another vehicle, and several civilians, among them the suspect, pointed the attention of the policemen to this. After the occupants of the undercover vehicle identified themselves as police officers, the suspect started cursing out one of the detectives, and when he sought to detain him, the suspect started attacking the policeman violently. The suspect was arrested for this, was transferred for questioning, and the police intend to prosecute him for his violent behavior. Needless to say, details were exchanged between the drivers at the venue as required. It should also be noted that during the riots, eight suspects were arrested for causing damage and violating public order.”
Of course, I don’t have to tell you that apart from the fact that there were cops and civilians involved, everything else in the police statement is an embarrassing lie. Including, by the way, the statement that they looked for the driver of the car they scraped and exchanged details with him.
Now, here’s a video of the civilian who is weeping when he recounts the beating he received as part of his “questioning.” He describes being on the receiving end of murderous blows inside the cop car. They broke his bones, dumped him on the floor of the car, and stepped on him, all the while laughing at his expense. And they said, “There, we caught another dog.” Later, in the police station, he wasn’t allowed to go to the bathroom during his 10-hour stay. Also, his lawyer wasn’t allowed to see him.
“הנה, תפסנו עוד כלב”
תקשיבו מה עבר על חיים מזרחי שנעצר אמש בשכונת גאולה, כמוהו יש רבים במגזר החרדי שמושפלים על ידי המשטרה, הגיע הזמן לעשות לזה סוף, החרדים הם גם בני אדם.— אריאל אלחרר (@ariel_elharar_)
Here’s another short interview with the victim of ruthless beatings by police. Draw your own conclusions.
הבחור שהותקף על ידי שוטרים בגאולה יצא מבית המשפט כשהוא פורץ בבכי. תקשיבו מה יש לו להגיד. השופטת: אני מזועזעת pic.twitter.com/54xgoHrcRC
— לירן תמרי | Liran Tamari (@liran__tamari)