Last week a child died tragically, and it led to heavy duty rioting in order to prevent an autopsy. It turns out, the rioting happened despite there never being an intention to do an autopsy. They had an early agreement with the police, so says the families cousin who is the head of the local Hevra Kadisha, that the body would only be eyeballed and not taken for an autopsy unless they see something that would require it. The rioters broke into the families apartment and did tremendous damage. The family was very upset about what happened and publicized notices in anger against the rioters. The heads of the rioters have apologized and called upon participants to chip in to pay for some of the damge (the notice said each person who took part in it should chip in 20 NIS towards paying for repairs) done.

What is even more upsetting is that after the rioting was finished, after Abutbol intervened and negotiated the end of the rioting (according to Chadash Abutbol presented the demands of Rav Kupshitz to the police and forced them to accept his position and refused to back down from them), Abutbol held a press conference in which he explained the agreement achieved.

While he was talking, some residents (from among the rioters) were nearby makign noise trying to disturb. One of them called out "Masht"ap Tziyoni!" (Masht"ap is an acronym for Mishatef Peula - somebody who cooperates and collaborates, so they were accusing him of being a collaborator of the Zionists).

Abutbol later said, "I can forgive them for the [verbal] abuses hurled at me and for not letting me speak. One thing I cannot forgive - that they called me a Zionist!"

Yes, that is the worst thing that happened that day. The city was practically going up in flames. His residents were rioting, causing untold damage to someone else's property, injuring policemen and causing a chilul hashem. After he got them to calm down, they still spent the morning cursing him out. And the worst thing that happened, the least forgiveable part of the day, is the moment someone called him a Zionist. It is fine to not be a Zionist. But if that is the worst part of his day, that clearly makes him an anti-zionist. Then what is he doing being the mayor of a city in Israel?