Jerusalem – Rabbi Lau: A Frum Jew To Call An Isreali Policeman Nazi Disgraceful

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    Jerusalem – The former Chief Rabbi of Israel, Israel Meir Lau, decided to speak out against the Aida Hachareidis’s demonstrations over Shabbos in Jerusalem. He instead asked demonstrators to sit together in dialogue to find a solution.

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    “The struggle on behalf of Shabbos have taken place for decades around the country, in particular in Jerusalem,” said Rav Lau. “One of the lessons we learned is that what one can accomplish when negotiating around a table cannot be accomplished when setting dumpsters on fire and calling policemen names — not to mention throwing stones and other objects.

    “This way is widening the chasm between those who observe Shabbos and those who violate it until it will be nigh impossible to bridge the gaping abyss. There is no substitute for explaining to the other side, teaching him and sitting at a round table. The City Council must meet as soon as possible to discuss the matter of the parking lots, and relations between the different population sectors in Jerusalem. A dialogue like this, to the best of my knowledge, was not yet carried out.

    “I understand the outcry and pain felt by the demonstrators for the honor of Shabbos kodesh, but the goal does not justify the means.”

    Turning to the capital’s police, Rav Lau asked them to show restraint when dealing with the demonstrators. “They are not criminals who are committing a crime, but their pain at seeing Shabbos desecration has brought them to say words that are inappropriate to a true ben Torah.”

    Finally addressing the demonstrators, Rav Lau concluded, “Throwing a stone, whether during the weekday or on Shabbos, and calling a policeman who is fulfilling his job “Nazi”, should be unheard of among Jews who observe Torah and mitzvos and abide by ethical values.”


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    94 Comments
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    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Bravo!

    anonymous
    anonymous
    14 years ago

    Rabbi Lau has a better perspective what a Yid is he was in the same block as I was in Buchenwald , block 66 the children block. Some of the Mea Shearim kodshe kudishim sat down with the those who advocate block 66

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    With debating Rabbi Lau’s comment, I have a question, how come we never heard Rabbi Lau speak up about Chillul Shabbos?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Rav Lau

    Your comments that throwing stones and using the word Nazi is unacceptable is more than correct, there is no excuse for that behavier, but at the same time please also make your comments that beating demonostrators and using exxecive force is worse than talking

    shmilu
    shmilu
    14 years ago

    todays generation has no inkling no comprehention of what the holocaust generation indured went through absolultly non to compare another yid to natzis is uncontionable laider the newr generation forgot history or never knew it what a shame especialy to jews who speak like that of another jew

    got hit by them as a bypasser
    got hit by them as a bypasser
    14 years ago

    for the Rabbi’s info. most riot police are not jewish they are either russian goyim or druzim and nazis they are!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    I guess if someone acts like a natzi he is one

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    the chillul shabbes and gross chillul hashem doesn’t seem to bother him as much, as calling these reshoim, nazis. nebech that these are considered today’s leaders.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    If you notice, the rabbis statements are always to the point. He is admirable in all Jewish communities. Why? Because he makes sans.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    He works for the government.this is why this secular govt needs a Rabbi.

    Shmuel
    Shmuel
    14 years ago

    rabbi lau is a holy man…let us all listen to his words…..we need unity amongst all segments of the jewish people…

    kingsley the Cuchim
    kingsley the Cuchim
    14 years ago

    #10 I was personally present on a Kol Nidre night when Rabbi Lau personally stood up to the entire top govt echelon who were present Yom Kippur night . He has always stood up for the rights of all Jews but especially for Kovod Hatorah.
    Klal Yisroel can win the hearts of the secular public with Ahava, Kiruv and dialouge.
    There is no doubt the governments have been hostile to the rights of the religous, but it has also been a two way street. Hareidim should never stoop to the madreiga of the Labor socialists who were sonei all frum yeedin.
    Yeedin should ask for vote on this issue , and must abide by the results as if they do not participate in the democratic process and aloof , their protests should be
    ignored… Where is the tzetalech promoting the protests from the Gedolim like the issur of the concerts and Lipa. I guess those are more deserving a document.
    Rabbi Lau is not disagreeing with the protests and their issue just the vulgar character of the manner they protest in.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    How can this rav, a Holocaust survivor, dare to go against the young radicals who are behind the violence and who somehow have hoodwinked the haredi establishment (see, for example, the ridiculous article about how a police helicopter disturbed the sleep of haredi residents–what do you expect when there are rioters, if not police on horseback and police helicopters?) ?!? He should be playing along with the rest of the silent majority and just accepting the haredi version of events, rather than standing up for common sense!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Rabbi Lau is a wise man, and all others who are criticizing him on this forum are kannaim shotim.

    yoel
    yoel
    14 years ago

    thank you rabbi lau for speaking out. it was bothering me that a yid call s another yid a nazi. it bothered me to no end. thanks for speaking out. you are a true leader. the deomnstartors made a huge chilul hashem they deserved to be beaten. i also beleive through that demonstration it was merachik for yidden from yidishkeit. some rabbonim have no idea way out of touch.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    It is indeed improper to call the Israeli police Nazis, it is also improper and unheard of in a civilized democratic country to treat demonstrators the way those uncivilized Israeli police officers treat them.
    They perform the worst forms of police brutality with their vicious attacks and excessive force, then they come crying that they’re being called nazis, and then the youngsters set dumpsters on fire as a backlash on the wild sadistic police behavior.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Just wait when millhouse will accuses Rabbi Lau as being a liar who was never in the camps, alternative he is old and don’t have Dase Torah.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    I’m just wondering what Rabbi Lau would say by the Mekoshesh Eitzim where Hashem tokd Moshe Rabieni to stone him

    To #19
    To #19
    14 years ago

    Right, what you said makes sense because we live in the times of Moshe Rabino and it is mutter for Yid to stone another yid with out a bais din.

    AW
    AW
    14 years ago

    To No: 8:
    Who says the chilul shabbos doesn’t bother him? But that doesnt give any person the right to use violence, stones and burning cars and dumpsters? Calling someone a nazi is the worst aveira even chilul shabbos. Especially we the next generation. That term should be reserved for Hitler or his henchmen only. If a goy or the chiloni used that term we would be outraged. Rabbi Lau has caused more stores to close on shabbos and brought people back to shmiras shabbos in Netanye that the eida has done in their entire history. NOT ONE PERSONE BECAME FRUM BY GETTING HIT IN THE HEAD WITH A STONE! If you believe that it did happen, you are a fool. That said, I do respect the Eida but their tactics are to be condemned. Derocheho darchei noam vechol nesivoiseho sholom is the only way and has been throughout our tragic history.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Kol Hakavod to moreinbu vrabbeinu hagaon harav harashi Horav Lau shlita
    for standing up for what is truly right and good and for saying what needs to be said to the fake frummies for their “holier than thou” atitudes towards fellow jews and for their sinas chinam and chilul hashem.
    Yashar Koach Rabbi Lau !!!

    Avrohom Abba
    Avrohom Abba
    14 years ago

    The demonstrators would accomplish MUCH MORE, if they smiled and handed out Tehilim sforim to each and every soldier and police person.

    AS
    AS
    14 years ago

    To No. 8:
    Where in the torah does it give license to correct someone’s aveiro with your own? Where in the Torah does it allow the Eida to be oiver on mazik? People’s private property? They should be held financially responsible for this nezek and be sued? They are causing a worse chilul Hashem than the parking lot. You can’t force people to be shomer shabbos. In the meantime life must go on? Nobody is forcing the chareidim to use the parking lot on shabbos.

    Rabbi Lau has more sense and yashrus than anyone in the Chareida? Learn up about him and you will see how much in frumkeit he has accomplished-without a stone thrown. Rioting and destruction has no place in Torah and Yiddishket no matter what the goal is. Shame on all the Rabbonim who don’t condemn these actions. Knowing how to learn carries with it a big responsibility – to be true leaders. Shaking a fist and cursing the police is not the derech! What do you want them to do? Allow the Chareidim freedom to burn injure and riot. When this happens we always blame the police. They are our brothers and only doing their job. When the chareidim commit mass violence, they have crossed the line and deserve to be treated harshly. We would expect no less than if the blacks, goyim or even chilonim riot. Only with Ahavas Yisroel can we accomplish shmiras shabbos and kiyum hamitzvos.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Those rabbonim who have promoted these demonstrations don’t deserve to even be considered in the same class as rav Lau shlita. His words show what is so desparately missing among those hareidi rabbonim–common sense and ahavas yisroel. The hareidi rabbonim should be zoche to have even a fraction of the midos and leadership skills exhibited by rav Lau.

    VL
    VL
    14 years ago

    RABBI LAU, YOU ARE MY HERO!
    YOU ARE A MODEL OF A TRUE RAV B’YISRAEL. MAY HASHEM REWARD YOU WITH A LONG PRODUCTIVE LIFE. KOL HAKAVOD!

    cp
    cp
    14 years ago

    As usual, Rav Lau’s statements are poignant and correct. It’s a shame these trouble makers won’t listen to him.

    berel
    berel
    14 years ago

    #27 rabbi lou has rubbed off to much of the secular world

    reaaly
    reaaly
    14 years ago

    #32 …and what criminal past is that?…..tell….fess up

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Rabbi Lau is correct in his thinking. Rioting will get you nowhere, and it will make more enemies. There should be peaceful protests.

    Dov
    Dov
    14 years ago

    Finally, a true gadol

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    So bottom line is like this …what more chilul shabos is going on we have to show them more and more love till we go out of mesikos loving them …now from the other side all this chariedi protesters who are taking hashems side we have to hate more and more and this is coming from yiden that know how to spell VOSIZNEIAS

    a concerned yid
    a concerned yid
    14 years ago

    Kudos to Rabbi Lau. It is time someone sttod upp to those thugs in the Eida. a peaceful demonstation is OK, but oncethose animals start throwing stones they are worse than the Mayor. the Mayor is only allowing nonjews to work on shabbos, while those punks throwing stones ARE THEMSELVES being michallel shabbos

    berel
    berel
    14 years ago

    #38 i do dare, and its no excuse to cover up for these police reshoim who are especially picked for their hate of religious jews, get it ?!

    berel
    berel
    14 years ago

    #44 and you will have to ask forgivness in the court of hashem that you sweep under the rug the true holy gedolai yisroel , not a paid lackey of the heretical goverment.

    Rochel
    Rochel
    14 years ago

    all my support to Rabbi Lau for his words on this purpose, I’ve always been against these demonstrations, fights between Israelis citizen and neturei karta and other chareidim, even though i’m chareidi, i believe in ahavas yisroel first and reject any form of violence, words or physical…

    Shimon Taylor
    Shimon Taylor
    14 years ago

    I even cried when I saw this article.
    Is this all that can be said for all the mesiras nefesh?

    Yossi
    Yossi
    14 years ago

    Dear Rabbi Lau…What do you call a police officer who grabs a bucher by his neck ,choking him,arresting him,and keeping in prison for 10 days without being charged..? Dont you think that NAZI is very appropiate.? Why are we trying to protect those officers and NOT those innocent bucherin who followed the instruction of the Gedolei Hador to go out and demonstrate…One bucher who has been arrested and still in prison is from Boro Park and he has over 15 wittness that saw him do NOTHING…….Thats how the NAZIS grabbed jews and put them onto a train to Auschwitz…

    Satmar Man
    Satmar Man
    14 years ago

    I DO support the concept of protesting and demonstrating against chillul shabbos. The demonstrators are right to do this.

    That being said, throwing rocks is not appropriate, and certainly it is horrific to call any Jew a Nazi

    But any raised voices which come out against the WAY the protesters acted MUST also be EQUALLY loud in raising his voices against the chillul Shabbos.

    Jew
    Jew
    14 years ago

    I will not even look on the rest of the comments.
    I looked at some of them and it is ridicules. Here you have a Bis Din of the world’s most famous religious leaders. Rabbis like Rav Weiss who is a known Talmid Chuchim for years. You have a Gudil like Rav Strenbuch who is among the top poskim in Haluche. These rabbis are always condemning anything bad which happens in Eretz Yisroel, not because they’re Iranians or anti-Semites, they love every Jew the most, they, who learn and daven all their lives, have more love to all of us then the government who are not keeping shabbos, fressing treif, and formost leading a Jewish Government which all of the Gedoilim in the past, including the holy Chazun Ish, banned it.
    On the other hand, there is a Rabbi called Rav Lau, who we truly admire being a Holocaust survivor who lost everything, he came back as an orphan child and was able to get a rabbi. But he is still not close to anyone in Eidah Hachridis. He is clearly not annoyed about the Chilul Shabbos what is going on in the holy land, or about the millions of Jewish children who are not saying and have no idea of Shma Yisroel.
    I would simply say to Rav Lau: Shame on you on behalf of Klal Yisroel! Hashem rescued you from the evil Natzi gang; you had miracles happen to you being the lone child survivor in a death camp; do you thing all of this happened so you would be able to greed the Pope, the leader of the christen world who is definitely not holy or anything alike? Or being able to connect yourself to people who Tadikim like the Chazon Ish, who had enough Ahavas Yisroel, didn’t want to look at them as it is well-known how he acted when the first leader of the so-called Jewish state visited his home and he turned his holy face away not to look in ht efface of an evil person as the Haluche is.
    No words can describe the pain of Klal Yisroel that people who are rabbis and scholars are those who support the act of individuals who are following the philosophy of Hertzel Yemach Shemoi who didn’t even performed Bris Milah on his children.
    We hope that this 61 year old tragedy for Klal Yisroel will be over soon with the coming of Mushiach Soon, Umen.
    For all of you VIN readers, I apologize for not having the best English; I still live in Eretz Yisroel where it’s not the first language.

    berel
    berel
    14 years ago

    #57…#56 said it all…

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    #58 ..whats this about chasing away…what do you all think..your doing g-d a favor by observing the torah. you thing he’s some little kid on the block who will cry and cower under the bed if you complain about the torah??? ‘…ki bishruris lebi eilech…lo yovah hashem seloach lo””

    shmilubacsi
    shmilubacsi
    14 years ago

    #56 you live in tottal fantasy you think that only you know what is right and what isnt let me tell you all youre frimkeit is worthless messiah is an illusion no such thing its like santa claus you beleive in something that doesnt exist you have no idea what life is all about writing the way you do about rav lau who went through real gehenem is an abomonation you should look at youreself in the mirror youre a gurnisht a farrikte a looser no idea of the real world because you live in neverneverland of youre own making

    anonymous
    anonymous
    14 years ago

    I was in block 66 in Buchenwald and the Studendienst was a man named Gustav Schiller. To all you fools and azzis ponim who dare to critize anybody who came out of this gehinnim and remained a Jew forget about being rav you should have derech eretz and that is underlying cause of the so called “hafganot” it aziz, stupid kannaim and plain proste persons

    anonymous
    anonymous
    14 years ago

    One more suggestion. My mother A’H who was killed in Chelmno was a very wise lady and she used say “ich bin nisht G’ds polizei”. If all these chachomim would worry about their olam habbo and yenems olam hazeh everything would be alright