Actually, Cohen's initial statement was not actually all that interesting - except for a couple of points within. It was Abutbol's response that was more interesting.
Bet Shemesh mayoral candidate Eli Cohen has condemned the violence of extremist-haredi protesters at the Goloventzitz construction site.
Cohen called for an end to the violence and said that once it is violence against a young girl, then violence in a bus and then violence within the haredi community itself. Cohen further said that he expects the mayor to come out against the violence and work in all possible ways against the extremist rioters, adding that more than a few haredim have come to him asking him to take action on this issue.
blah blah blah...
Cohen added an interesting point that this is not a fight over protecting Judaism, but is damaging to weaker families who spent a lot of money buying houses in that area... this is similar to the stopping of construction of the cultural center - it is taking advantage of a weak municipal system for objectives that are not connected at all to religious issues...
blah blah blah
The mayor of Bet Shemesh, Moshe Abutbol, responded saying "I recognize the problem in the most clear way and have tried in the past to be a bridge and to work a compromise between the two sides, but unfortunately without success. I will continue to search for solutions of peace, love and friendship.
Regarding the calls of Eli Cohen, I call upon the new candidate who does not know his right from his left of the Haredi community to not stick his head into areas in which he has no understanding and try to create politics on the backs of the haredi public over sensitive issues that he has no understanding of."
(source: Kikar)
It is that attitude that causes many to not like him, and is a large part of why he has opposition of many people, even though he has done some good things. I don't know what he can do to stop the thugs, but I am not mayor. He claims to know all the intricacies, yet he has not even called on the community to put an end to the violence, nor has he encouraged the police to put an end to it (not that they need his encouragement, but it is good for residents to hear that the mayor condemns this type of behavior).
He has to work quietly and sensitively to put an end to the violence perpetrated by 60 or so people? The entire haredi community in the city is opposed to their violence, and he gives them legitimacy looking for a compromise? thousands of people have to compromise with 60 thugs?
If he can't find a successful solution, by his own admission, at least condemn the violence. That is the minimum that is expected. Residents of the city don't think he has our best interests in mind when he is busy giving legitimacy to violence and its perpetrators.
And if he is so smart and an expert on the intrigues of the haredi community, why is he so unsuccessful at coming to a solution? If he can't even succeed at what he is an expert at, why should we trust in or rely on him for other things? And his arrogance - you know nothing and I know everything.. bah..
I don't have the solution and I do not know what can be done by the mayor, but I am not mayor nor am I running for mayor. I expect at minimum a condemnation (along with a smidgen of humility) and would hope for more than that.
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This can happen any time a mayor mainly sees himself as the protector of one faction in his city aginst other factions.
ReplyDeleteWhy do they always use that photo where Abutbol looks like he just woke up?
ReplyDeletethis is ridiculous. when they riot in mea shearim under Nir Barkat - is he responsible? if he does not condemn it does anyone think twice? cuz ma is 'haredi' he is a shaychus with these goons? they think he is a tzioni-rosho-goy etc. and are against him. these people are loons and Eli Cohen is very happy to have them around. So are all people who like to see the torah denigrated in the most awful way. Both religious and non-religuos.
ReplyDeletethis is a job for the police and court system who obviously have an interest in keeping these loons around and displaying them whenever it suits their purposes.
As u yuorself stated u do not know what to do and in fact no one does, so long as the poilice/courts do not get invlolved seriously!! i do not know abutbol's plan but it seems he feels that public confrontation with thse wackos is counterproductive and he is probably right - and if not it is minimally an extremely reasonable position even if not emotionaly satisfying, this is not apathy or negligence. this is what he means by Eli cohen not knowing his right from his left. these people are graggers and the more you shake em the more noise they make.
Do not think they are unaware of the elections going on either.
Anon, I understand what you are saying but Abutbol is disappointing in that he is not taking a stronger leadership role. Every leader must make a decision to either jump into the fray or assume that if he stays out, he won't get his hands dirty. The latter is a leadership decision that shows weak leadership. Something crap is happening in his city. Wackos are literally setting the city on fire. It is definitely in his realm to intervene.
ReplyDeletetruth is I dont know what Nir Barkat does when there are violent protests in jerusalem. I dont pay such close attention to the details of these things in other cities. Maybe I will start doing so.
ReplyDeleteBut in bet Shemesh, where these crazies affect the entire city and give the city tons of bad press, I do expect the mayor to get involved somehow. As Josh said, it is a type of leadership. Abutbol is wishy-washy. he doesnt want to offend the 50 people and maybe another 100 sympathizers, so he refuses to condemn or do anything, and in the meantime the name of Bet Shemesh gets dragged through the mud again.
A couple of weeks ago Degel HaTorah reps were quoted in the national Haredi press (Mishpacha specifically) as saying that one of the reasons they are considering fielding their own candidate for mayor and not supporting Abutbol (they have yet to express official support) is because his failure to deal with these guys gives the entire haredi community a bad name.
Yes, even the haredim and their political reps expect him to do something about it. This stuff hurts them as much as anybody else, but he doesnt realize it and is ineffective in doing anything about it. Even if he cannot stop it, which he says he cant do, he can condemn it, he can publicly call on the police to do more, and I am confident that as mayor he must have tools at his disposal by which he can actually influence the situation - even if I do not know what those tools are.
If I recall, in a Cohen vs. Abutbol back-to-back interview in October, Abutbol explained that he decided not to get involved in the violence at the Goloventzitz site because "it's really a for-profit real estate matter."
ReplyDelete