JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Beit Shemesh Mayor Aliza Bloch was evacuated from a building in the Ramat Beit Shemesh B neighborhood on Tuesday night, where she had arrived to inaugurate a new school of the Vizhnitz Hasidic movement.
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Several extremists from the nearby neighborhood smashed Bloch’s car and punctured its tires. They then gathered outside the building and burned trash cans. The extremists also damaged new furniture designated for the Vizhnitz school.
After about an hour, police forces arrived at the scene, dispersed the rioters and rescued the mayor via a back exit from the building.
עשרות חרדים הבעירו פחים ותקפו את רכבה של עליזה בלוך, ראש עיריית בית שמש, לאחר שהגיעה לאירוע חנוכת תלמוד תורה בעיר. שמשות רכבה נופצו והגלגלים נוקבו. לאחר כשעה, המשטרה חילצה את ראש העיר בכוחות מתוגברים, וללא נפגעים@HGoldich pic.twitter.com/tHw7HmFQSU
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) August 29, 2023
The mayor’s bureau said that the rioters “are a small extremist group who do not represent the vast majority of Beit Shemesh’s residents.”
Interior Minister Moshe Arbel said following the incident, “I spoke tonight with Beit Shemesh Mayor Dr. Aliza Bloch after the violent attack she experienced. Violence is a sick evil that must be uprooted, [whether it happens] against any person and against elected officials.”
Arbel also said, “I expect the enforcement agencies to act immediately to protect the elected officials in the local government against anyone who raises their hands on elected officials and public servants.”
Police said that they were investigating the incident in order to bring to justice those who caused the violence and vandalism at the scene.
Why did it take an hour for the police to arrive.
The message being send is: Moshiach can wait. We don’t want you. We don’t need you. Get lost. We just love galus.
Will anyone get arrested for this crime?
Groisse Tzadikim!
Chareidi fanaticism and extremism is alive and well.
“Extremists” is a euphemism for what?
Crazies on the left, and crazies on the anti-zionist specter. We haven’t learned from the mistakes of Bayis Sheini, have we.
How about some journalism here? Why were they rioting? What does it have to do with the new school mentioned in the article? How about some context?
When Jews use the hand of eisav, no one wins.
Violence against other Jews does nothing to help being moshiach.
Do you know why the zealots did this to the mayor. Or it was just another night out on the town for thirst with much time on their hands.
Lets be real: These violent people exist in our community, and it’s hard to get rid of them. While Ms. Bloch did not start their fire, I would advise her not to throw more wood on it by destoying caravans and other “illegal” structures, without warning, in the wee hours of the morning. The Haredi population of Beit Shemesh has grown faster than their ability to build schools and Synagogues. While with Vizhnitz, this problem may have been dealt with, the Mitzvah of not bearing a grudge, and not taking repvenge, is not known by all.