Haredi Rabbi On Trial For Attack Against Messianic Jews

Hebrew Christians allegedly attacked by a haredi mob at the urging of Beersheba's haredi chief rabbi.

Court hears Messianic Jews' suit against Beersheba chief rabbi
By DAN IZENBERG, Jerusalem Post

A policeman who testified Sunday in a lawsuit filed by the Nachalat Yeshua Messianic congregation against Beersheba Chief Rabbi Yehuda Deri and the Yad L'Achim anti-missionary organization, said Deri had arrived at the scene of a clash between Orthodox Jews and Messianic Jews in December 2005 and calmed matters down.

The testimony came in the second day of hearings on the matter before Judge Iddo Rusin in Beersheba Magistrate's Court.

Deri, who is the brother of former Shas Party chairman Aryeh Deri, did not testify at the hearing as scheduled due to lack of time.

The Nachlat Yeshua Messianic congregation is one of about seven such Christian congregations in the city.

According to the suit, hundreds of Orthodox Jews held a demonstration without a permit, broke into the church compound, attacked worshipers, broke furniture and held their own prayer service. The protesters allegedly remained in the compound for three hours before police evicted them.

Members of the congregation also alleged that the demonstrators punched worshipers and surrounded a Korean man, kicked him in the ankles and said to him, "Go back to Thailand, you dirty Thai worker."

Deri allegedly called the demonstrators to the church after being informed by Yad L'Achim that 10 bus loads of Jewish children were about to be taken there to be baptized, Pastor Howard Bass said in 2007. This claim, he said, was wildly exaggerated. "Only two people were supposed to be baptized on that day. Both were over 18 and were exercising their rights under Israeli law."

Three of the demonstrators were arrested that night, but no charges were brought against them.

The congregation has sued Deri and the Yad L'Achim organization on various counts, including harming religious feelings, imprisonment without cause, trespassing and causing damage to the compound.

According to one of the congregation's lawyers, Kevork Nalbandian, Deri organized the assault on the compound.

Comments

[Dr. Dave]

Does this mean we should beat up messianic chabadniks?

[Lawrence]

Is "hurting religious feelings" really a crime in Israel. Does anyone have a reference for this?

[Yoel Mechanic]

Outreach and persuasion is the best way to deal with this issue. One has to consider that such protests can alienate and make things worse. For those who enjoy hooliganism, perhaps a better outlet could be found, such as soccer.

[R]

at first i thought this was about chabad.
I also don't see how they thought that raiding and stampeding on a church and wrecking everything and hurting people would be the best way to solve this elusive bus load of children that were meant to be baptised.

[A. Nuran]

This is terrorism and needs to be treated as such. No country can function if violent mobs are allowed to run free.

[yidandahalf]

Where I live the temperature is almost onehundred degrees now. I have noticed people acting and driving more erraticly than usual. Is it also chamsin time by these people now? There is nothing good they do that ever makes the news. Instead we have displays of their mass insanity on almost a daily basis. Fighting over fur hats, treif matzoh, segregated buses, and a few messianistic whathaveyous. Yet they still find the time to sweep every abomination under their carpets. They can't be learning and studying their religious texts that is for sure, they simply would not have time.

[Isa]

Hmmmmm....
A good way is to erect a huge gold cross with a sign that says in effect 'when you go here this is what you become'
Of course the messianic cong will prevent/take it down perhaps even get some one arrested but they won't be able to claim 'persecution'

[mordecai]

People who claim to have a direct line to G-D scare me. Many of my clients, against my advice tell me that they want to go to trial because Jesus told them to. I usually tell them this joke:

Hurricane Katrina is about to hit New Orleans. A cop comes knocking on the door and the home-owner refuses to evacuate telling the cop that G-D told him to stay. The next day the flood waters inundate the 1st floor. The home-owner runs to the second floor of the house.

Now a fireman in a rowboat begs the home-owner to hop into the boat to save himself. The home-owner persists that G-D told him to stay.

The next day the waters inundate the second floor and the home-owner must go to the 3rd floor. Now a pilot in a helicopter urges the homeowner to jump into the helicopter to save himself. Still the homeowner says that G-D told him to stay.

The next day the homeowner drowns and goes to heaven. He meets up with G-D and asks: "G-D I was so faithful. Why did you not send me a sign?"

G-D said I sent you three signs you idiot. I sent you the cop , the fireman, and the pilot and you ignored all of them.

[paul stevens]

The story indicates contradictory statements, unclear facts; we don't know what happened. Of course that doesn't stop the usual crown of anti semitic Jews here leaping into the anti Jewish religous fray - the same group would rather support anti Semitic Popes, murderous Islamists, and child murdering Muslim terrorists than admit that Zionism and Judaism has merit.

[paul stevens]

And I'm getting sick and tired of the anti Chabadnicks here. There is no indication that any sizable proportion of Lubavatchers believe the Rebbee (dead or alive) is in fact the messiah - the most I've heard any of them say is that the possibility existed that he could have been when he was alive - a statement I don't find controversial.

[shmuel]

"There is no indication that any sizable proportion of Lubavatchers believe the Rebbee (dead or alive) is in fact the messiah"
Dude, that is standard Chabad belief. They believed it when he was alive. Many don't agree that he's actually dead. Almost all agree he's Moshiach, wherever he is. Trust me, just look at their kipot, hear them sing "Yechi," TALK TO THEM for G-d's sake---have you ever? They believe it, crazy though it is.

[shmuel]

And one more thought: Messianics? Haredim? Can we gather them all in one spot and let them fight this important battle to the end?

[Yochanan Lavie]

PS: We overwhelmingly support Zionism and Judaism. It's corruption, pedophilia, and dead messiahs we oppose.

[Mezuzah]

Messianic is the right thing!

[paul stevens]

Shmuel: "Messianics? Haredim? Can we gather them all in one spot and let them fight this important battle to the end?"

Shmuel, you embarrass yourself with your rejection of Judaism.

[Reuben G]

I ask you, with Jews like this who needs enemies?