Haredim Threaten Riots Over Ashkelon Building Complex

"What is happening is simple: They're going to build a large complex, the antiquities authority found graves while excavating, and at a lower level they also found graves from the Second Temple period. In the past there was a city here and people were buried here. There was also a Jewish settlement, but even if they are not Jewish, it is prohibited to dig under a Muslim cemetery - it's not humane."

 

Haredim Threaten Riots Over Ashkelon Building Complex
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com

The haredi organization Atra Kadisha that serves as the self-appointed protector of gravesites in Israel has threatened to protest on a scale that would rival the massive riots staged over the construction of a specially hardened underground emergency room at Barzilai Hospital in 2010, unless construction at a new combined public, commercial and residential project in the southern coastal city is immediately halted, Ha'aretz reported.

The protests and riots against the Barzilai construction, combined with delays added by Israel’s haredi “Deputy” Health Minister Ya’akov Litzman (there is no actual Health Minister, the title of Deputy Health Minister is a legal fiction that allows Litzman to avoid voting on security issues in cabinet meetings), who was coopering with Atra Kadisha, delayed construction of the missile-protected E.R. by years, endangering tens of thousands of Israelis.

Atra Kadisha claims that graves have been removed from the new combined public, commercial and residential project site and vowed to fight the project "like we fought the Barzilai hospital.”

On Thursday, an Atra Kadisha representative visiting the site found out that the Israel Antiquities Authority was conducting a pre-construction rescue dig – a very common practice in Israel, where almost every piece of new construction potentially uncovers a piece of history. It sent representatives to inspect the new construction site Sunday and demanded entry. They were refused.

Work on the project only began about a month ago. The massive new complex – if it is ever built – will include a new city hall, a performing arts center, a central plaza, an office tower, 26,247 square foot commercial center, and 200 apartments.

"What is happening is simple: They're going to build a large complex, the antiquities authority found graves while excavating, and at a lower level they also found graves from the Second Temple period. In the past there was a city here and people were buried here. There was also a Jewish settlement, but even if they are not Jewish, it is prohibited to dig under a Muslim cemetery - it's not humane," Atra Kadisha volunteer Haim Friedman told Ha’aretz.

Halakha, Jewish law, does allow graves to be respectfully relocated under certain circumstances usually involving a greater public need or good. In the past, that halakha has been invoked to move graves found in the construction of at least one haredi yeshiva. The law prohibiting desecration of graves generally does not apply to the graves of idolators, so if graves actually were found and they were Philistine or Canaanite, both idol worshipping groups, the law would not apply and the graves could be moved.

But in the past, haredim have rioted over archaeological excavations of Canaanite and other polytheistic graves, insisting that despite the presence of non-Israelite pottery, non-Israelite burial practices, and even idols that the graves are, in fact, of Jews. In some cases, graves of prehistoric people dating back several thousand years before the Jewish people even existed have been claimed by haredim as “Jewish” graves.

This, coupled with decades of threats – which have sometimes turned violent – against archaeologists by haredim make archaeologists view Atra Kadisha and other haredi groups with a large dose of suspicion, and they have learned to react to haredi threats with caution.

"The authority is carrying out excavations to save antiquities before building the Ashkelon municipality [complex], and the results of the excavations will be published on their completion,” was all a spokesperson for the Israel Antiquities Authority would say when Ha’aretz asked about the haredi demand.

Comments

[jancsibacsi]

The hords of ignoramouses are at it again,mindless uneducated brain washed primitives are going bunkers over absolute nonsense,they want to dominate the rest of us bi sheer violence i say fight fire with fire beat them up breag some bones if neccesar before all this stupidity get out of hand tottaly,in other owrds beat the crap out of theese mindless automatons.

[S M L]

Protesting is one thing; 'threatening riots' is sedition. Time for the government to get them under control or civil order will be gone in Israel.

"Sedition is the stirring up of rebellion against the government in power. Treason is the violation of allegiance to one's sovereign or state, giving aid to enemies, or levying war against one's state. Sedition is encouraging one's fellow citizens to rebel against their state, whereas treason is actually betraying one's country by aiding and abetting another state. Sedition laws somewhat equate to terrorism and public order laws."

[seymour]

they should do a dig or some scanning under meir shurim and benie barak and see if there are any bones there. If yes lets see how fast the robbonuim will come up with some heter not to move or say in their case it is ok

[jerryny]

The massive new complex – if it is ever built – will include a new city hall, a performing arts center, a central plaza, an office tower, 26,247 square foot commercial center, and 200 apartments.

Of course, this being Israel, if this complex is built it will be only for Jews as have been the some 1000 other such developments in it's history, no Arabs need apply. Israel equals segregated housing and segregated schools and even segregation against other Jews such as Ethiopian Jews.

[ah-pee-chorus]

its funny how charedim despise and fear everyone else while theyre alive, and show them ZERO respect. yet somehow when they die their bones become those of kedoshim deserving of and requiring charedi protection.

[Alter Kocker]

Its really very simple Haredi authority. I invested literally millions of my money to develop a building. You don't like where I am building because you ascribe some voodoo withcraft with respect to burials on that site. If you want to keep those graves intact, you be prepared to pay me not only what I have invested and probably invested years of my time. You pay me my anticipated profit as well. If you cannot pay me, and I have acquired the land legally and I have been able to develop it to this point, then all due respect; get the fuck off my land or I will have the bulldozer run you off. No ifs, no buts. Go away, or you will deal with armed security next.

[Jack]

Haredim Threaten Riots Over Ashkelon Building Complex

I could see it now. A bunch of haredim milling around hooting and hollering and waving their fingers. Talking on their cell phone while twirling their peyous. They are for the most part marshmallows in more ways than one.