Reporter feels mob's hate in the Holy City

[kuzadd]

let's see, how many apologists does it take to excuse this one, and change the subject.

How much reality can the apologists deny?

The ABC's Middle East correspondent Anne Barker became caught in violent street protests involving ultra-Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem at the weekend. This is her graphic account of her ordeal.

I was mindful I would need to dress conservatively and keep out of harm's way. But I made my mistake when I parked the car and started walking towards the protest, not fully sure which street was which (dress conservatively and stay out of the way, oh yeah, ultra religious freaks, right)

By the time I realised I'd come up the wrong street it was too late.

I suddenly found myself in the thick of the protest - in the midst of hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews in their long coats and sable-fur hats.

They might be supremely religious, but their behaviour - to me - was far from charitable or benevolent.

As the protest became noisier and the crowd began yelling, I took my recorder and microphone out of my bag to record the sound.

Suddenly the crowd turned on me, screaming in my face. Dozens of angry men began spitting on me.

Spit like rain

I found myself herded against a brick wall as they kept on spitting - on my face, my hair, my clothes, my arms.

It was like rain, coming at me from all directions - hitting my recorder, my bag, my shoes, even my glasses.

Big gobs of spit landed on me like heavy raindrops. I could even smell it as it fell on my face.

read the rest at the link

[kuzadd]

I note the reporter stated she was careful to dress modestly, a woman needs to know her place in Israel, I guess...

This is not the first attack on a woman by these religious fanatics that i have read of.

In fact, when I read this I recalled this news story.

Woman beaten on J'lem bus for refusing to move to rear seat

A woman who reported a vicious attack by an ad-hoc "modesty patrol" on a Jerusalem bus last month is now lining up support for her case and may be included in a petition to the High Court of Justice over the legality of sex-segregated buses.

Miriam Shear says she was traveling to pray at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City early on November 24 when a group of ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) men attacked her for refusing to move to the back of the Egged No. 2 bus. She is now in touch with several legal advocacy and women's organizations, and at the same time, waiting for the police to apprehend her attackers.

In her first interview since the incident, Shear says that on the bus three weeks ago, she was slapped, kicked, punched and pushed by a group of men who demanded that she sit in the back of the bus with the other women. The bus driver, in response to a media inquiry, denied that violence was used against her, but Shear's account has been substantiated by an unrelated eyewitness on the bus who confirmed that she sustained an unprovoked "severe beating."

Get to the back of the bus lady, so say the religious fanatics in Israel.

Reminds me of the whack jobs here in Canada, and the US.

The countries that pretend they are oh so democratic, just like Israel.

[M.Dancer]

The countries that pretend they are oh so democratic, just like Israel.

Oh so you claim this was state sanctioned? Are all riots state sanctioned or only Jewish ones.

Get back to me when they saw off a head.

[Sir Bandelot]

Oh so you claim this was state sanctioned? Are all riots state sanctioned or only Jewish ones.

"... is now lining up support for her case and may be included in a petition to the High Court of Justice over the legality of sex-segregated buses."

Sure sounds like the state has allowed this segregation. Will the state step in and provide protection for people, from these ultra orthodox fanatics?

Lets hope so. The problem could then be, some of them ARE the judges, and the politicians???

Sounds like they need a lesson in equal rights, and a better democracy. Send in the Predator drones...

Edited July 8, 2009 by Sir Bandelot

[M.Dancer]

Sure sounds like the state has allowed this segregation.

"... is now lining up support for her case and may be included in a petition to the High Court of Justice over the legality of sex-segregated buses."

I think it might be you who needs the lesson in civics. They haven't ruled on it therefore they haven't allowed it.

[Bonam]

The ultra-orthodox are pretty crazy. The perpetrators will likely get caught by the police and punished accordingly in the case of the bus beating, and were stopped by riot police in the case of your first post. These kinds of acts are not condoned in Israel. You might also note that if she were somewhere else in the middle-east she'd probably have ended up kidnapped, chained up in some dusty cellar, and waiting for Australia to negotiate her release for the next few years.

[Sir Bandelot]

"... is now lining up support for her case and may be included in a petition to the High Court of Justice over the legality of sex-segregated buses."

They haven't ruled on it therefore they haven't allowed it.

Why has this segregation been in place for years then? If it was not allowed, wouldn't they put a stop to it?

It has been a known problem for years now-

Israel's 'modesty buses' draw fire

24 April 2007

Naomi Ragen says the buses are just part of a wider menacing pattern of behaviour towards women in parts of the orthodox Jewish community. "They've already cancelled higher education in the ultra-orthodox world for women. They have packed the religious courts with ultra-orthodox judges.

"They throw paint and bleach at women who aren't dressed modestly and if we don't draw a line in the sand here with this seat on a bus, then I don't know what this country and this religion is going to look like in 20 years," Ms Ragen said.

I think it might be you who needs the lesson in civics.

I will, if you take one on civility.

[dub]

majority of jews in israel are nothing like these guys. unfortunately, it's these crazies who push for and drive the annexation of palestinian land.

these crazies are the ones in the settlements.

check this out:

this is a good example of how their children act and what their mothers are like.

they also attack palestinian children who try to go to school:

[KrustyKidd]

let's see, how many apologists does it take to excuse this one, and change the subject.

How much reality can the apologists deny?

Good thing she didn't go to a real protest like the WTO ones or in Iran. Holy! She's a freakin' westerner and obviously non Orthodox in the middle of a huge crowd of whipped up Orthodox protesters. Akin to Bush showing up in the crowd of an anti War rally.

She needs to take a course in common sense, or map reading.

[kimmy]

Religious fanatics of all description can go stick their flippers in a light socket.

We hear a lot about Muslim fanatics, and Christian kooks to a lesser extent, but recent events have made it clear that there are some completely retarded Jews and Hindus as well.

-k

[DogOnPorch]

Most of these scenes are from Hebron which is main centre for this radical settlers vs Arabs. This Australian doc from 1996 shows it has been going on for years. One of the key sticky points for these settlers seems to be not only the holy nature of the place (for both sides) but that it was the scene of the big slaughter of Jews in 1929 during the Mufti's revolt. Not to mention Hebron is the scene of Baurch Goldstein's attack...

Edited July 9, 2009 by DogOnPorch

[kuzadd]

majority of jews in israel are nothing like these guys. unfortunately, it's these crazies who push for and drive the annexation of palestinian land.

these crazies are the ones in the settlements.

check this out:

this is a good example of how their children act and what their mothers are like.

they also attack palestinian children who try to go to school:

Yes, they are extremely fanatical.

They have made the news many a time in Israel.

Then their are the militant settlers, recall the link to that interview I posted, that woman a moderate, was terrified of the settlers, she said if they knew her views they would attack her.

This kind of stuff has been going on in Israel for some time now, it is to bad.

[kuzadd]

Good thing she didn't go to a real protest like the WTO ones or in Iran. Holy! She's a freakin' westerner and obviously non Orthodox in the middle of a huge crowd of whipped up Orthodox protesters. Akin to Bush showing up in the crowd of an anti War rally.

She needs to take a course in common sense, or map reading.

Umm, hello apologist, she said she took care to dress modestly and she was still attacked, because she was a woman.

That is why.

God, get a grip on reality.

[kuzadd]

Why has this segregation been in place for years then? If it was not allowed, wouldn't they put a stop to it?

It has been a known problem for years now-

Israel's 'modesty buses' draw fire

24 April 2007

Naomi Ragen says the buses are just part of a wider menacing pattern of behaviour towards women in parts of the orthodox Jewish community. "They've already cancelled higher education in the ultra-orthodox world for women. They have packed the religious courts with ultra-orthodox judges.

"They throw paint and bleach at women who aren't dressed modestly and if we don't draw a line in the sand here with this seat on a bus, then I don't know what this country and this religion is going to look like in 20 years," Ms Ragen said.

I will, if you take one on civility.

good question, why is it that in Israel they have segregated buses???

Oh sorry modesty buses.

[Muddy]

These reports of attacking women by religious nut balls in Israel are very disturbing. To bad there were not a few hard nosed soldiers around to give these guys a thumping. But unlike the rest of the middle east ,at least they were not arrested blamed and flogged or stoned for inciting the nut bars. Israel does not condone these acts.

[kuzadd]

Hey Dub:

check this one out, shown on Israel's channel 2 news, the religious settlers attack Peace Now activists

hey and this is pretty mild, compared to some footage available.

[Sir Bandelot]

Israel does not condone these acts.

"They have packed the religious courts with ultra-orthodox judges."

Who is Israel.

[M.Dancer]

"They have packed the religious courts with ultra-orthodox judges."

Who is Israel.

The person who made the comment.

If you are talking about the rabbincal courts, there is a swing towrds the ultra orthodox....if you are implying it is the supreme court, or all courts, the statement is incorrect.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Court...urrent_justices

[KrustyKidd]

Umm, hello apologist, she said she took care to dress modestly and she was still attacked, because she was a woman.

That is why.

God, get a grip on reality.

Hello guy who can't read. Dressed modestly or not,she's a freakin' westerner and obviously non Orthodox in the middle of a huge crowd of whipped up Orthodox protesters. Akin to Bush showing up in the crowd of an anti War rally.

She needs to take a course in common sense, or map reading.

God, learn how to read.

[kuzadd]

Hello guy who can't read. Dressed modestly or not,she's a freakin' westerner and obviously non Orthodox in the middle of a huge crowd of whipped up Orthodox protesters. Akin to Bush showing up in the crowd of an anti War rally.

She needs to take a course in common sense, or map reading.

God, learn how to read.

KK: so, a woman who was dressed modestly, and is doing her job, and it is her fault that she was so disgustingly attacked.

This is what you are saying, it is her fault.

She was mindful of the crowd she was covering, and still it is her fault that she was attacked.

"As a journalist I've covered more than my share of protests. Political protests in Canberra. Unions protesting for better conditions. Angry, loud protests against governments, or against perceived abuses of human rights.

I've been at violent rallies in East Timor. I've had rocks and metal darts thrown my way. I've come up against riot police.

But I have to admit no protest - indeed no story in my career - has distressed me in the way I was distressed at a protest in Jerusalem on Saturday involving several hundred ultra-Orthodox Jews.

So several hundred Jewish fanatics get to rain spit on her. On this one lone reporter and it is her fault.

KK: this is a low as it get's, blame the victim. That is how far you will take this excuse making.

Edited July 9, 2009 by kuzadd

[KrustyKidd]

KK: so, a woman who was dressed modestly, and is doing her job, and it is her fault that she was so disgustingly attacked.

This is what you are saying, it is her fault.

She was mindful of the crowd she was covering, and still it is her fault that she was attacked.

So several hundred Jewish fanatics get to rain spit on her and it is her fault.

KK: this is a low as it get's, blame the victim.

Once again, learnn how to read. I said that it was not very bright to go into a whipped up crowd to cover a story when you would be seen as an enemy by those whipped up people be they a bunch of Muslims protesting the west, peace activists protesting war or, in this case the Othodopx Jews protesting a holy day infraction.

Yes Kuzad, they were wrong in attacking her and should be charged if possible however, she is a moron for going into the middle of them just like a naked woman walking through a rough neighborhood at night would be pretty stupid as well. The attackers would be wrong in raping her for sure but the woman would be pretty stupid for putting herself in a predictable situation like that don't you agree?

[Bonam]

Hello guy who can't read. Dressed modestly or not,she's a freakin' westerner and obviously non Orthodox in the middle of a huge crowd of whipped up Orthodox protesters. Akin to Bush showing up in the crowd of an anti War rally.

She needs to take a course in common sense, or map reading.

God, learn how to read.

Krusty, I normally agree with you on matters Israeli but here I have to disagree. I mean of course it may not have been the safest choice, but reporters should and do go into areas that pose various degrees of personal danger to provide us with a service, in various countries around the world. It was definitely the nutty "ultraorthodox" who did the deeds that are primarily/entirely to blame. Fortunately, in Israel, such acts are not condoned and they were stopped by riot police before any real harm could come to the woman in question.

[DogOnPorch]

Re: the woman reporter.

If one wishes to draw pictures of birds while sitting in the trenches, keep your head down.

Edited July 9, 2009 by DogOnPorch

[KrustyKidd]

Krusty, I normally agree with you on matters Israeli but here I have to disagree. I mean of course it may not have been the safest choice, but reporters should and do go into areas that pose various degrees of personal danger to provide us with a service, in various countries around the world. It was definitely the nutty "ultraorthodox" who did the deeds that are primarily/entirely to blame. Fortunately, in Israel, such acts are not condoned and they were stopped by riot police before any real harm could come to the woman in question.

By that logic, if and when covering a story of the IDF attacking Hamas, she places herself in the middle of a group of Hamas fighters about to be taken out?

Sorry, that reality dictates that she use a bit of common sense when covering a story and keep her ass out of harms way while being as close to the story as possible. In this case here, she was pretty stupid as the outcome, wrongly perpetrated by an out of control mob, was almost predictable.

[Bonam]

By that logic, if and when covering a story of the IDF attacking Hamas, she places herself in the middle of a group of Hamas fighters about to be taken out?

Sorry, that reality dictates that she use a bit of common sense when covering a story and keep her ass out of harms way while being as close to the story as possible. In this case here, she was pretty stupid as the outcome, wrongly perpetrated by an out of control mob, was almost predictable.

I don't know how predictable it was; certainly less so than standing in the middle of a group of Hamas fighters with an IDF missile hurtling towards them. Jews are by and large a fairly civilized people, and one would not and should not expect to be attacked without provocation by them. One should feel safe walking down the streets of Israel, whether one is a man or woman, Israeli or not Israeli, Jewish or non-Jewish, Orthodox or non-Orthodox. This is generally the case, and when it happens to be otherwise, it is not exactly predictable.

Edited July 9, 2009 by Bonam