The beating was part of a chain of attacks and counter attacks over control of the Batei Warsaw houses in the Mea Shearim neighborhood of Jerusalem between Gur (which is widely viewed in the haredi world as being too close to Zionism) and the vehemently anti-Zionist Edah Haredit umbrella organization and its linked army of street thugs known as the Sikrikim (or the Sicarii gang). Criminal charges against the Gur hasid resulted in a sweetheart plea deal that saw him serve no time in prison.
Above: Avrohom Hirschman lying on a Jerusalem street after being beaten by a gang of 20 Gur hasidim in October 2011
Gur Hasid Ordered To Pay Compensation To Victim Of Vicious Hasidic Gang Assault
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
A Gur (Gerrer) hasid who used his status as a volunteer with the Israel Police to participate in the October 2011 beating of Avrohom Hirschman, a haredi man from a rival sect, was ordered by the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court to pay his victim 125,000 NIS (just under $33,000) along with 16,000 NIS (just over $4,000) in his victim’s court costs, Yeshiva World reported.
The beating was part of a chain of attacks and counter attacks over control of the Batei Warsaw houses in the Mea Shearim neighborhood of Jerusalem between Gur (which is widely viewed in the haredi world as being too close to Zionism) and the vehemently anti-Zionist Edah Haredit umbrella organization and its linked army of street thugs known as the Sikrikim (or the Sicarii gang).
Hirschman was seriously injured in the attack by 20 Gur hasidim who beat him with metal bars and clubs, and then left him bleeding on the street.
The Gur police volunteer volunteered to work the shift that would encompass the time the Gur gang would beat Hirschman and then tampered with evidence to confuse and misled police investigators.
The Gur police volunteer was also charged criminally. But he was given a sweetheart plea deal by prosecutors and served no prison time. Instead, he was sentenced to community service.
“I am pleased that Deputy President of the Court Justice Gad Ehrenberg accepted my client’s lawsuit and the evidence in the case, realizing the severity of the assault against him as is reflected in the court’s ruling. We do not understand how and why the Justice Ministry’s Police Investigation Unit handled the case against the policeman with silk gloves and agreed to only sentence him to community service. One who takes part in such serious offenses belongs in prison,” Hirschman’s attorney, Itamar Ben-Givir (who normally represents far right-wing West Bank Jewish settlers) reportedly said, noting that the evidence also points to negligence by Israel Police in the beating and in the wave of back and forth gang attacks, which Ben-Givir said police allowed to happen. He said he expects his client will be compensated with a much larger amount of money by the Israel Police for its role in the attack after legal proceedings against police are completed.
Gur is a very powerful hasidic group that essentially controls half of the haredi United Torah Judaism Party. In the past, Gur leaders have successfully protected alleged child rapist Rabbi Avrohom Mondrowitz, a Gur hasid, from being extradited to the US to face charges and have used the sect's power to protect other alleged Gur criminals, as well.
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Avrohom Hirschman Beating Part 1.