Isolated Attacks on Har Hazeisim Approaches Unacceptable, ICHH Tells Police

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“Two recent attacks against visitors to Har Hazeisim breaking many months of quiet are extremely disturbing,” Abe Lubinsky, Chairman of the International Committee on Har Hazeisim said. “While we greatly appreciate the efforts of the security forces over the last two years to end the vandalism on the 3000-year old cemetery, we cannot condone the recent attacks, which included the stoning of a school bus of seventh graders.”

 

The bus with the school girls was attacked last Thursday night as they were returning from a visit to Har Hazeisim. The many changes that have taken place in the cemetery including the deployment of police and Border police, the installation of cameras and the building of a fence have brought back thousands of visitors, as many as 2000 a day, according to police sources. Mr. Lubinsky pointed out that the Committee has been working with police officials to safeguard the approaches, particularly the A-Tor and Ras al Amud access points. Thankfully, none of the girls was injured but a shattered windshield disabled the bus in the midst of a huge traffic jam. Lubinsky further noted that the presence of several Border policemen in the area did not seem to deter the hoodlums, pointing to the fact that these youths must be prosecuted and given long jail sentences. He also asked for additional units to bolster the security in the area.

 

Lubinsky said that while 173 surveillance cameras are mounted throughout the cemetery, more cameras are needed on the approach roads. He also said that while the cemetery itself is secure, more police need to be deployed on the crowded approaches. “We will not rest until all violence is totally eradicated from the approaches to Har Hazeisim despite the general calm,” he said.

 

Officials of the ICHH plan to hold a series of meetings in the coming weeks with police and municipal officials to deal with any “cracks” in the security of the holy cemetery. Police officials have in recent months made numerous arrests and have undertaken other measures to head off any violence but the recent incidents shows that much still needs to be done. “In general, Har Hazeisim is safe but we must deal with these isolated incidents,” Lubinsky concluded.

 

The ICHH was founded in 2010 to deal with the deteriorating situation on Har Hazeisim. Working with members of Knesset, the Municipality and the Netanyahu administration, much has been done to upgrade the security and state of the cemetery. It is in the process of restoring many of the destroyed graves from the Jordanian era as well as constructing a Visitor’s Center. In a recent historic development, 65 members from ever political party except for the Arab list have signed onto a Knesset Caucus on Har Hazeisim which will officially be launched at a ceremony on December 5th with the participation of senior government officials. The Caucus, the largest ever in the history of the Knesset, was established by Yuli Edelstein, the Speaker of the Knesset, who named Rabbi Yoav ben Zur, chairman of the Shas faction in the Knesset, as its chairman.

{Matzav.com}


2 COMMENTS

  1. The Ichh does amazing work of protecting and fixing up har hazaysim!
    Recently I went to har hazaysim they supplied me with an armed guard
    a frum yid mr. wander who knew the whole mountain. he brought me to rabbi millers kever rabbi sheinberg the chofez chaims daughter and soninlaw
    rav elyashivs father and grand father the leshem, rav gifter rav shimcha shustal, and many more
    it’s worth the few dollars to hire them

  2. They need to have either a bridge bypassing areas that arabs throw stones. To pay for it let them have a toll booth where they collect a fee just as so many tunnels and bridges here in the states. Any normal country would remove buildings or its criminals from throwing stones. Imagine a house or a school overlooking a highway and young hoodlums living there throw stones every day onto the passing cars. Would the city allow this to go on. But israel is so mixed up and they are more worried about protecting toeiva parades and women off the wall in the name of democracy that they are slicing their nose off despite their face. The har hazeisem cemetery can become the second most visited site if they had the brains to realize its value. They must act fast now that we have a normal american president in power. If we wait too long and get another liberal bafoon will be stuck again. I have been many times to visit this cemetery. Yes they built a little police station around the bend of rabbi Avigdor Millers gravesite but they need to either widen the road getting into the cemetary or build an above ground bridge that can take you directly in. This way there won’t be stones reaching the cars. Of course if you would stand on top of the bridge on the BQE highway in brooklyn and throw rocks down on passing cars you would be charged with attempted murder. But in israel you land in jail if you refuse the draft longer than stone throwers.

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