Op-Ed: Israeli Police, You Have Lost All Self-Respect. Perhaps Try A Different Approach

NEW YORK (VINnews) — Theoretically a parent can use force against his child to curb his insolent behavior. In most cases the child will not fight back but if the parent uses excessive force, he could scar his child for life and effectively lose any parental respect he may have had previously.

This analogy sums up in a nutshell the present relationship between the chareidi community in Israel and the police. However it is not merely an analogy, as police have indeed been targeting even young children recently for excessive and gratuitous violence. This is intolerable behavior and should result in the immediate suspension of the violent policemen. Unfortunately, with the daily media diatribes against the chareidim for their perceived ignoring of coronavirus health regulations, there is merely a sense of satisfaction in the secular public when chareidim are targeted for punishment by police.

התיעוד הזה לא יוצא לי מהראש. https://t.co/W58bbEXpJ2

— אריאל אלחרר (@ariel_elharar_) October 7, 2020

A child beaten up by police describes his ordeal

Journalists and politicians were quick to point out infringements of regulations at the large funeral of the Pittsburg rebbe, with prime minister Netanyahu criticizing the “severe violations.” Nobody seemed to be capable of empathizing with a large chasidic group which felt orphaned and bereft of its leader, who was a father figure to thousands. With coronavirus cases constantly rising within the chareidi community, it seems both logical and politically astute to blame the community itself for its woes.

However much this may be true, it does not condone in any way the outrageous violence meted out specifically to chareidi violators of the regulations. The cruelty and malice demonstrated by police has alienated even the most mild-mannered members of the community and it will take years to remedy the perception of police as guardians of the law. At present they could best be described as ruffians in uniform terrorizing people who are trying to maintain minimal religious rituals in the face of draconian laws which have yet to prove their effectiveness.

חשבתם שיעבור יום ולא נזכה למראות האלו? טעיתם.
שוטר תוקף ילד באלימות כעת במודיעין עילית.
(צילום: איתמר קירשבוים) pic.twitter.com/sAKPSrV812

— אריאל אלחרר (@ariel_elharar_) October 6, 2020

Youth targeted for police brutality in Modiin Illit, Oct. 5 2020

It is time the police realized that have lost all self-respect and dignity. Their brutal methods have accomplished nothing and caused untold grief to law-abiding people who could easily be persuaded to adhere to guidelines with a more conciliatory and respectful approach to their needs. Knocking children to the ground (in one instance the orphan of a person killed in a terror attack in Shechem), punching, kicking, harassing and throwing buckets at people will get them nowhere and will discredit them in the eyes of the public.

תשקיעו 46 שניות מהחיים שלכם ותצפו בסרטון הזה, קצת ממה שעובר על החרדים.
אם הזדהיתם תשתפו. pic.twitter.com/63tArtI23q

— אריאל אלחרר (@ariel_elharar_) October 5, 2020

Its time for Chareidi politicians to wake up as well. The kind of targeted violence evident in these horrific clips, which were all taken this week, should be denounced and condemned and the politicians should show all of the clips to Internal Security minister Amir Ohana and demand immediate action against offending police. Only then can police begin to reconstruct their relationship with a battered,bruised and humiliated chareidi community.