Tel Aviv – Ultra-Orthodox figures pushed to halt renovation work on Ben Gurion International Airport runways after the Israel Antiquities Authority discovered ancient graves at the site.
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“Disorder in the area of the runways, or even close by, could disrupt flights to Israel,” an airline industry source said. “No airline will fly to an airport where there is violent disorder.”
Renovation and widening work was recently begun on the runways to improve safety. One runway was due to be lengthened, which would enable one runway to be designated for takeoff and the other for landing.
A few days ago, Antiquities Authority workers discovered the ancient graves at the site of the renovations. On Wednesday it appeared that haredi figures had been informed – the same groups that had tried to prevent the construction of the ER room at the Barzilai Medical Center (Ashkelon) and are now demonstrating in Jaffa against construction at a site in which other graves have been discovered.
Initial investigations suggest that the newly discovered graves are not Jewish. However, the Airports Authority has begun receiving telephone calls which suggest a new “graves affair” is developing.
The site of the graves was to be included in the renovation work only in the second stage, in over a year’s time. Nonetheless, the religious figures are demanding the work be halted now, for fear of harming the graves. The Airports Authority is investing some NIS 800 million ($210 million) into the renovation and extension works.
Even though this site is within the “sterile” area of the airport, protected by a security fence and armed patrols, authorities fear haredi groups may attempt to enter to prevent the work from continuing.
The Airports Authority held an emergency meeting Wednesday, with the participation of Chairman Ovadia Ali and Director-General Kobi Mor. Various solutions were discussed in case the Haredi groups insisted that work be completely halted on the site.
Why aren’t they building the ER in ashkelon? The graves were already uprooted?
Asra kadisha is ready to cooperate and give good solutions to be able to build according to halacha. Most of the times no one is intrested. Its more interesting to spread hate against the chareidim.
Wow! We should all boycott Ben Gurion airport if they descerate jewish graves!
Actually, this is a great outcome. By the time these meshugaim are done screaming about disturbing jewish graves at every construction site in EY, they will have lost so much credibility that the next time they demonstrate, the majority of even the morth orthodox jews will actually cheer when the security forces literally bang a few heads. Lets face it: You cannot dig in EY without encountering some kevorim We cannot delay much needed public infrastructure for these speculative and generally halachally incorrect demonstrations.
There have been so many protests that the Israelis just ignore them as they are doing in Yafo. The Chareidim have violated the principal of “tofasta meruba lo tofasto”.
In addition the Chareidim have gone too far in the “who is a Jew” category. Many real Jews can’t marry in Eretz Yisroel now. Today’s Haaretz (very anti-charedi paper) has a atory where someone was told to bring four generations worth of birth certificates and kesubos despite that her grandparents were killed in the camps! She may not be orthodox, but still this just won’t be swallowed.
Next the chilonim will finally get together to take away their funding for all yeshivas, kollel people, large families etc.
Nuff said!
These zealots are a bunch of charedi fanatics who count in the dozens maybe.Its all about funding and power.There isnt a legitamate rov willing to go on record for them except when theer is political power involved.And #5 is right.Its a medinah ,democtartic and should be ruled according to the law.Enough already with the frum extortionism and appaling chillul hashem.If they were to use their energy to be mekarev live jews istead of old arab bones there would be ahavas yisroel in eretz yisroel.And yes, money is the root of all evil and extremism.All religious funding should be stopped and the sick soceity system of charedism would impolde,as it should.Its a shande to bring up a dor of am horatzim and users who send their wives to earn a living while they eat from the fruits of non frum hard working jews.Never in history have so few supported so many and in return received so much sinah,Dont you think there is something wrong with this picture?
Guys Don’t be so stupid, agree or disagree, the fact that the williamsburg bike lane was removed means, that you can always work nicely with officials to things resolved!!
Espicially when we are talking about graves, in the entire world jury there is respect to old Graves!!
Besides ISRAEL the hatred towards chareidim and the torah is with no end in sight!!
They have a problem with graves right there are sulotions out there!!
There is just no respect to each other not to the “Lebedige” and of course not to those Sages in the graves!!
And for all you comentaters, don’t be so foolish stand up for yourself you are jewish!! Don’t hate yourself, have some self confidence!!
Let’s all stand up for oun sake otherwise who knows.. When we will be in there?!?! R”L
Be Strong!!!
Mr. #6 . ”Bunch of charedi fanatics who count in the dozens maybe” didn’t you mentioned so many are supported by so little, please make up your mind,
And second of all why is following what are sages did called chilul hashem, isn’t the existance of a so called jewish land a chilul hashem? Such holy zionist they keep every single mitzvah of the jewish torah,!?
B”H
To commentator #7 , who stated (inter alia): “And for all you comentaters, don’t be so foolish stand up for yourself you are jewish!! Don’t hate yourself, have some self confidence!!”
While your words are meritorious in themselves, #7 , they do not allow for any differences of opinion to that held by you.
Just because a person may disagree with your views it does not logically follow that he is a “self-hater” or that he is not Jewish. He just thinks for himself and differently from you.
Or does your ‘dalet amos’ not allow for any deviation from /your/ way? I really would like to know.
This is getting out of hand already. These lunatics should get jobs and let everyone else live in peace.
Firstly,So who are the am haratzim rav wosner rav chaim kaniyevski rav lefkowitz rav batzri rav weiss just tell everyone who you mean by saying am haratzim
of course not and asra kadisha is not supported by them.
And where exactly does it say we are not allowed to move kevorim?they have been moved in all of our history,starting with yakkov avinu.
To #4
If we don’t care about the shoichnei ufur, we have no zchis kiyum.
so this is your limitus test?no aseres hadibros no trayag mitzvos…just shochnei ufur? thats the problem with a lot of these commentors you like the dead more than the living?get a life..theres a living world out there you can be mekarev to yiddishkeit but youre busy with bones?a shande
To #12
and a Jewish country should be ruled according to the torah
who ever said that?there was never a definate medinas halocha in ancient times either..there was always a malchus which the king ruled and a sanhedrin that ruled communal affairs to the extent it could.A strict halachic soceity would never work,never did work and never will.Theres a reason there never was one !Or do you know a few that were ?The tanach mentions maybe one….from all the kings .
To #9
What i meant was that so many are supported finanicially by so few..the many are the non frum jews working and the many who parasite off them , the laydigeiers who dont work..sheshes yomim taavod…ever heared of that?
And kedusshas eretz yisroel is an aveira?..when so many mitzvos can only be done in eretz yisroel…sinas chinom is an avaira not ahavas yisroel !And who are you to count another persons mitzvahs?yours are superior to theirs?
and not everyone agrees to your opinion of Israel..ho rayahh all the gedolim live there..not in williamsburg