Hundreds of largely Sefardi haredim blocked a main road in Jerusalem tonight and rioted to protest the arrest of Rabbi Yoram Abergel, who allegedly conspired with a mobster to extort rabbinic opponents – and, perhaps, try to have them killed.
Above right, Rabbi Yoram Abergel
Hundreds Of Haredim Riot In Jerusalem
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
Hundreds of largely Sefardi haredim blocked a main road in Jerusalem tonight and rioted to protest the arrest of Rabbi Yoram Abergel, the Times of Israel reported.
Abergel – who allegedly conspired with a known kipa-wearing mob boss, Shalom Domrani, to extort rabbinic opponents to try to force them to endorse his favored candidate for mayor of Netivot and who also allegedly spoke with Domrani about murdering one of those rabbis – was arrested last Sunday as he was about to board a flight to China to visit a Chabad House there.
Another pro-Abergel protest took place tonight Ashkelon, as well.
Tonight’s protests were milder versions of last week’s pro-Abergel riots in Netivot, where thousands of people took to the streets and rioted, setting cars on fire and clashing with police, and a smaller but still raucous pro-Abergel protest in Lod.
Abergel is the founder of a hybrid Sefardi-hasidic movement based on traditional Sefardi-Mizrahi customs and teachings on onw hand and Chabad and Breslov hasidic teachings on the other.
Abergel is on his seventh day of remand and is due in court again early this week.
[Hat Tip: Burich.]