Breslov Hasidim Storm Joseph's Tomb

Breslov hasidim stormed Joseph's Tomb in Shechem (Nablus) and attempted to take over the site. 55 hasidim and right wing activists were arrested.

 

Right-wing Israelis barricade themselves in West Bank Jewish holy site
A nighttime operation planned by Bratslav Hasidim and right-wing activists from an organization called Garin He'arim Ha'ivriot ended with 55 arrests.
By Chaim Levinson • Ha'aretz

It was hard not to rub one's eyes in disbelief: At 4:30 A.M., just as Israel Defense Forces soldiers were preparing to leave Joseph's Tomb in Nablus, 55 ultra-Orthodox Jews and right-wing activists burst from adjacent alleys, sweating from their rush to arrive in time. Surprising the soldiers, they barricaded themselves inside the tomb complex. It was the climax of an operation planned last week, with the goal of restoring Israeli sovereignty to Joseph's Tomb. The operation was planned by Bratslav Hasidim - students of Rabbi Eliezer Berland from Jerusalem - and right-wing activists from an organization called Garin He'arim Ha'ivriot, which seeks an Israeli return to Nablus, Jericho and the section of Hebron under Palestinian control.

The plan was simple. Yesterday, for the first time since a Bratslav Hasid named Ben-Yosef Livnat was shot to death by a Palestinian police officer during an uncoordinated visit to the tomb last month, the IDF permitted a coordinated, well-guarded visit to the site. Throughout the night between Monday and Tuesday long armored-plated buses packed with worshipers pulled up, disgorged their passengers and collected others who were ready to leave. The last buses were slated to contain some 200 activists carrying chains with which they intended to attach themselves to the structure, and nail-studded bars to puncture the buses' tires.

The evening began quietly. An IDF battalion took up positions in the city, and the worshipers began arriving. They included Noam Livnat, Ben-Yosef's father, and Haim Fogel, whose son was murdered by Palestinian terrorists in Itamar two months ago.

At about 3 A.M. the activists began their preparations. Some hid under the buses until they were found and forcibly removed; others hid in the bathrooms. Still others hid in the shrubbery, and were found about half an hour later. The soldiers, who had received prior information about the plan, combed the compound to make sure no one was left. The buses containing the 200 activists, which had been waiting outside the city, were stopped by the police.

At that point 55 people got off one of the buses and began racing into Nablus. Running at a speed that prompted some observers to wonder why they were in yeshiva rather than serving in an IDF combat unit, they crossed the city, passed the refugee camps and stormed into the compound.

They planned to remain barricaded inside until it was full daylight, as that would force the army to send in additional troops to protect them and escort them from of the city. That is precisely how the first Jewish settlement in Hebron began decades earlier.

After brief, fruitless negotiationa, a Border Police commander gave the signal. Working in teams of four, the officers picked up the worshipers bodily and began transporting them to the Ariel police station. Ultimately, 55 people were arrested. Some, who made a disturbance in the police van, were charged with vandalizing a police vehicle in addition to violating army orders. Twenty of the detainees were brought for a remand hearing in Petah Tikva, but all were released with no conditions.

Yesterday, as the last of them were making their way home, another demonstration was held, at the entrance to Nablus. It was conducted by a more establishment organization, the Samaria Settlers Council, and including prominent figures such as Rabbi Zalman Melamed of the settlement of Beit El. The demonstrators later boarded buses and asked the IDF to let them enter Nablus. The army refused.

Both actions were part of a wide-ranging effort launched after Livnat was killed. In the absence of a freeze on construction in the settlements, and with the threat of new peace efforts looming, the right has united around a demand to reestablish a permanent Israeli presence at Joseph's Tomb. The Yesha Council of Settlers has been exerting political pressure over this issue, and has so far gained the support of Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman, Culture Minister Limor Livnat (an aunt of Ben-Yosef Livnat, who was killed in Nablus last week ) and Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom. Local settlement committees have organized nonviolent demonstrations and prayer sessions, while more militant groups such as Garin He'arim Ha'ivriot and the Bratslav Hasidim are planning more unauthorized trips to the tomb.

The army and police are watching all these efforts with concern. As one officer in the IDF Central Command said, "reestablishing a permanent presence at Joseph's Tomb would require a significant deployment of troops. From our standpoint, this isn't even on the agenda. People have no grasp of what this would actually entail."

Comments

[tooclose2detroit]

maybe they were practicing for Uman-oy vey-did someone put some LSD in their coffee?

[seymour]

The army and police are watching all these efforts with concern. As one officer in the IDF Central Command said, "reestablishing a permanent presence at Joseph's Tomb would require a significant deployment of troops. From our standpoint, this isn't even on the agenda. People have no grasp of what this would actually entail."

Posted at 08:19 AM in Crime, etc., Haredim, Israel | Permalink

of course no the breslev do not join the army so the extra burden is not on them.

The more and more i see and hear religious Jews action and many of the comments by the frum about the hescher zeatek issue shows the frum have lost their minds and really maybe not Jews at all

[tooclose2detroit]

i dunno bout that-there are plenty of frum guys in the army-my best friends son is an officer -I guess I will have to tell him that seymour says he is not a jew.-that will come as a helluva surprise to him.

[Shmarya]

i dunno bout that-there are plenty of frum guys in the army-my best friends son is an officer -I guess I will have to tell him that seymour says he is not a jew.-that will come as a helluva surprise to him.

Posted by: tooclose2detroit | May 04, 2011 at 09:03 AM

What Seymour wrote is that BRESLOV HASIDIM don't serve in the army, so your comment is meaningless.

However, many of these hasidim are BTs and have served in the army (or they are children of BTs and their parents have served in the army).

[seymour]

i dunno bout that-there are plenty of frum guys in the army-my best friends son is an officer -I guess I will have to tell him that Seymour says he is not a jew.-that will come as a helluva surprise to him.

Posted by: tooclose2detroit | May 04, 2011 at 09:03 AM

saying you know a frum army officer does not prove or say anything. I did not say that not one frum guy.

However if one looks at statistics of the percentage of frum who join the army compared to the percentage of secular who join the army you would see a major difference (or a scary difference).

You comment or logic is akin to saying cigarettes are not dangerous since I know a person who smoked and lived to 100 years.

But I can forgive since people who are frum or argue for them always use that type of logic to prove points. The rebbie said my wife will have a child and she did proves he is a holy man. Of course he said that to hundreds of others who it did not pan out that way. But since it works once he is holy

[tooclose2detroit]

i guess the only way to prove the point would be to look at all religious people in Israel, including religous zionists (who, I imagine would consider themselves frum) that serve in the army, relative to all the non religous that serve, and see how big the disparity is-and then, also, to see how many frum stay in the army and proceed to officer status, relative to non frum-without that info, y'ar speakin out yer butt.

[ruthie]

and every day i justify my shrimp lo mein.

[tooclose2detroit]

how do you justify killing shrimp that did nothing to you?-they were just swimming along raising there families not bothering anyone, but because you are more concerned with your own lusts than other creatures rights to share the planet with us, you encourage their continued killing-how disgusting.

[seymour]

i guess the only way to prove the point would be to look at all religious people in Israel, including religous zionists (who, I imagine would consider themselves frum) that serve in the army, relative to all the non religous that serve, and see how big the disparity is-and then, also, to see how many frum stay in the army and proceed to officer status, relative to non frum-without that info, y'ar speakin out yer butt.

Posted by: tooclose2detroit | May 04, 2011 at 10:23 AM

I am sure their is a big difference of course one needs to include the utra orthdox.

their is a major backlash that the orthdox do not go to the army.

I guess you think that is nonsense and the orthodox really do joint the army

Like i said to others it is good to live in a fantasy world.

whether they become officer is really a non issue the issues is how many jion the IDF

[seymour]

tooclose2detroit

remember many Orthodox try to get exception from the army.

so if you want to live in a fantasy world that the Orthodox serve at the same rate go ahead.

But I live in the real world

[tooclose2detroit]

But I live in the real world

Posted by: seymour | May 04, 2011 at 01:46 PM

then, in the real world, ya gots to be open the reality that
1-many frum DO serve
2-many cheelonim also try to skip out on military service

I dont know what the numbers are, but I'll bet you a pizza that neither do you.

[tooclose2detroit]

of course, ya gots to come out to Destroyt to collect.

[Yosef ben M]

israel could be besser off if these idiots turned satmer or netorei karta, they can then romance hamas and hamas romance them in return!

[aviv manuel]

To seymore,

Or..."The rebbie said my wife will have a child and she did, and the kid looks just like him, proves he is a holy man, or a horny man to that matter."

[seymour]

ut I live in the real world

Posted by: seymour | May 04, 2011 at 01:46 PM

then, in the real world, ya gots to be open the reality that
1-many frum DO serve
2-many cheelonim also try to skip out on military service

I dont know what the numbers are, but I'll bet you a pizza that neither do you.

Posted by: tooclose2detroit | May 04, 2011 at 02:17 PM

If what you say is even remotely true why is it whenever the Orthodox get accused of not serving in the army at a good enought rate.

why is it that the frum never ever say, well that is simply true we serve at almost the same rate.

They don't since it is simply false. all they say is our learning keeps you alive.

I did a quick search when I have a little more time i ill search for the stats but sure I am right maybe someone else on this board has that info

[seymour]

I never said frum do not serve or that all secular serve.

I said that the percentage of those that serve is mush greater in the secular world then in the frum.

saying there are frum in the army does not negate the fact that percentage wise it is a very small number when comparing it to the secular.

Yes the religious Zionist do serve. I am talking about black hat

[tooclose2detroit]

I guess you think that is nonsense and the orthodox really do joint the army

Like i said to others it is good to live in a fantasy world
seymour

uhh-your own words contradict you, Sy-ya didnt make a distinction betwixt orthoducks and black hat-that was the point i was making-ok?-why do you spel so pourly?

[Adam Neira]

I empathise with the activists concerns about damage to the Tomb of Joseph. The savages that inflict harm on the place must not be allowed access. However a certain command and control structure must be heeded. The Border Police are far more aware of what is going on regarding security. When one visits the Louvre one heeds the security people present. If everyone “crowds” the site it will create too much mania and friction. I’m sure Joseph would like to rest in some sort of peace. (I am reminded of the Jean-Jacues Roussea painting of Joseph.) An orderly process must be followed for access to Joseph’s Tomb, the Cave of Machpelah and the Temple Mount/Noble Sanctuary. It is all a matter of using time and space well.

P.S. I’m happy to fill the vacancy for Temple Mount caretaker by the way. Team is ready. “The Special Regime” is a marketable, pallatable idea. Not as esoteric as Moshiach etc.

[lamed Vovnik]

The whole idea that we actually know the exact spot where Joseph was buried is nonsense... it's not based in any historical fact. This is the same concept as Hindus in India killing over the site of a temple because that's where the god Rama was born. This whole business of tomb worship is a bizarre relic of the dark ages.

[seymour]

guess you think that is nonsense and the orthodox really do joint the army

Like i said to others it is good to live in a fantasy world
seymour

uhh-your own words contradict you, Sy-ya didnt make a distinction betwixt orthoducks and black hat-that was the point i was making-ok?-why do you spel so pourly?

Posted by: tooclose2detroit | May 04, 2011 at 10:29 PM

went to black hat yeshiva and they never had us write an essay

[Justin Time]

To Adam Neira - it's 'Jean Jacques Rousseau'. It's probably worth considering getting a proof-reader on your team. And you only have nine days left to get yourself to the promised land. Eight, if you include travel time. Gads! Hope you're packed. What happens on the 19th if you're still stuck at home? The end of civilisation? The suspense is killing me.

[Adam Neira]

To Justin Time,

Thank-you for the correction. When multitasking counselling/warning/admonishing/zeitgeist auditing/making sure my friends are ok/breathing/checking if I have cash in my pocket/worrying about my work/being up for a bit of righteous activism/analysing/processing/remembering/visualising/awaiting guidance from the big guy/receiving prophetic insight/dealing with my heart/diving in and out of the stream of consciousness/thinking about having a cigarette/feeling like I should give up/turning on the heater/having a glass of water etc. sometimes I make spelling mistakes. For some reason a song line from The Smiths just came to mind “Nature is a language can’t you read ?”

Regarding your travel advice, the May 16th date is still pivotal. I will not be in Jerusalem in person on that date but I will be 100% there in spirit. My arrival in the Holy Land has been delayed. Working on a few things at the moment, but thanks for your concern about my wellbeing and whereabouts. I appreciate it. Two things to look out for on that date : Opening of the summer session of the Knesset; The US Debt limit hits its ceiling. Plus of course another trillion things will happen on that day. The unseen things which are not so easy to discern and which many are not aware of, are, what the geometries of consciousness are doing, especially in the minds of the various leaders in the Middle East and World. Politics IS the art of the potential.

Regarding focus, will and intent...

When asked by a follower "Where is a person ?" The Baal Shem Tov replied, "A person is where his will is !"

“The Sovereign has, under a constitutional monarchy such as ours, three rights -- the right to be consulted, the right to encourage, the right to warn. And a king of great sense and sagacity would want no others !"

"One of the greatest pains to human nature is the pain of a new idea. The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do."

- William Bagehot 1826 to 1877

P.S. I have taken care with this post. Triple spellchecked it ! There might still be a little spelling/grammatical error in their somewhere. Like a ferret lost in a maze.