Rabbi Asher Sternbuch, a son of Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch, the number two
rabbi of the Mea-Shearim-based Edah Haredit haredi umbrella
organization, was reportedly phjysically attacked yesterday in Mea
Shearim by a group of haredi thugs who allegedly shouted, “Your father
is evil! He allows graves be be dug up! in Beit Shemesh!”
Haredim stoning police in Mea Shearim in July 2011
Haredi Thugs Physically Attack Leading Rabbi’s Son Over Alleged Graves “Desecration”
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
The violent intra-haredi fight over the alleged desecration of ancient Jewish graves at a Beit Shemesh construction site continues to grow even more violent.
Rabbi Asher Sternbuch, a son of Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch, the number two rabbi of the Mea-Shearim-based Edah Haredit haredi umbrella organization, was reportedly phjysically attacked yesterday in Mea Shearim by a group of haredi thugs who allegedly shouted, “Your father is evil! He allows graves be be dug up! in Beit Shemesh!”
Sternbuch father Moshe, a small number of other Edah Haredit rabbis, and most mainstream non-Edah haredi rabbis do not believe there are any ancient Jewish graves at that construction site.
But Edah’s most senior rabbi, Yitzhak Tuvia Weiss – who has also frequently defended haredi pedophiles and child abusers – disagrees.
Asra Kadisha, the so-called graves protection subsidiary of Edah Haredit that, according to Israeli media reports, acts as a criminal extortion ring, is said to loyal to Weiss.
Two weeks ago, some of its thugs allegedly savagely beat the elderly developer of the Beit Shemesh site in his Jerusalem home, leaving him hospitalized.
Then last week, hundreds of haredim sympathetic to Asra Kadisha rioted over four days at the Beit Shemesh site and for one day in Jerusalem (please see the posts linked below). Almost 40 haredim were arrested, many of whom are still in jail.
The thugs who attacked Asher Sternbuch yesterday are likely part of Asra Kadisha.
The Israeli haredi news website B’Hadrei Haredim reported that Sternbuch was walking near the open air market in Mea Shearim. As he approached the small synagogues that border it, he saw a group of haredi thugs coming toward him. They began shouting at him: "You are a criminal and evil, the son of a father who is a criminal and evil! He allows graves to be dug up in Beit Shemesh! Get out!”
Sternbuch tried to get away but was unable to do so. The thugs thugs grabbed his hat and threw it in the air. Others threw trash cans and dirty diapers at Sternbuch as he tried unsuccessfully to enter the courtyard of a Toldot Aharon hasid in the hope of finding shelter.
Before Sternbuch could be seriously hurt, a bystander who was armed shouted, "Come here! Arrest them!” as if he were a police officer calling for reinforcements. Thinking that police were on their way, the thugs fled. Sternbuch called a taxi and left the neighborhood.