Police Close Tomb Of Shmuel Hanavi After ‘Disturbances’ During Hilula

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JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Just a week and a half after the violent scenes in Meron on Lag Ba’Omer, police once again clashed with worshipers arriving at the tomb of Shmuel Hanavi to mark his yahrzeit- the 28 of Iyar. After the clashes, policed closed the tomb for several hours.

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A Senior official in the Religious Affairs Ministry fumed at police for “not learning the lesson from the Lag Ba’Omer incidents in Meron” and said that “the same scenes repeated themselves at Shmuel Hanavi.”

The official added that “What is going on with the Hilula is against the law, in violation of the safety plans agreed with the National Center for Holy Places which stated that the tomb would be closed and everyone could pray outside without crowding and pushing.

“Unfortunately a senior police officer decided to work in contravention of regulations and opened the tomb to the public and within half an hour everything collapsed. How do they then solve the problem? By beating people.”

Police said in response that “From the evening, police and border police acted to secure and guard the order at the Hilula of Shmuel Hanavi which takes place at his tomb in Jerusalem. Police worked to regulate the entry of the worshipers and prevent crowding to maintain public safety.

“Unfortunately at about 9:30 PM  hundreds of people came to the site and began rioting, disturbing the peace and performing vandalism and knocking down fences in an attempt to get to the tomb which was at maximum capacity at the time. Some of them threw projectiles at police and clashed with them.

“Police worked to restore order and temporarily closed the tomb to the public. Human life and safety of the participants is sacrosanct.”

 

 

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Wilbur
Wilbur
8 months ago

XYZ, your שנאת ישראל is so disgraceful! I feel sorry for your נשמה

Golda
Golda
8 months ago

Israel is becoming more and more a police state particularly in its behavior towards Chareidim. They need to stop their overinvolvement in “policing” these holy sites. The people who come to daven are adults or children with their parents. They should be able to make their own decisions about their safety.

XYZ
XYZ
8 months ago

There is a two front, soon to be three front war going on. Security personnel are stretched thin. It’s time to abandon these entitled, Ignorant, miscreants to a fate of their own making. If they insist, on going places that are clearly dangerous, Let them go, offer no protection,(let them provide their own) , and let the chips fall where they may.
You may now start bashing me.