19 july 2016
Eliezer Berland, who fled Israel three years ago when called for police questioning and who has wandered from country to country since then, has landed in Israel and been taken into police custody; hundreds of Breslovers greeted the plane.
Rabbi Eliezer Berland, who fled Israel after being accused of sexual harassment, landed on Tuesday morning in the country after being extradited by the South African authorities. Upon exiting the plane, he was arrested by Israel Police officers who were awaiting his arrival and who took him for investigation.
Berland, a leader in the Breslov Hassidic movement, was greeted at Ben Gurion Airport by hundreds of Hassidim from his sect who came to express their support for him and who recited their morning prayers together.
The 79-year-old rabbi founded the Shuvu Bonim Yeshiva in Jerusalem. In 2012, one of his Hassidim alleged that he had seen Berland in an immodest position with a girl from the community. The man who made this allegation was beaten by of Hassidim, and this incident led to the police's investigating. Afterwards, additional testimonies were collected from women regarding sex crimes.
Berland fled the country to Morocco in 2013, shortly after he was supposed to present himself for questioning to the police. King Mohammed VI expelled Berland from Morocco, and from there he travelled to Zimbabwe, the Netherlands, and South Africa.
In Zimbabwe, the local media published information regarding Berland's alleged flight from justice. As a result, the authorities expelled him from that country as well, claiming that Berland had overstayed his tourist visa.
In 2014, the rabbi travelled to Johannesburg. Local police began searching for him there following an international arrest warrant from Interpol. Berland fled to the Netherlands, where he was arrested. There, a Dutch court decided that he should be extradited to Israel, and he was placed on house arrest.
On July 7, 2015, Berland fled again, violating his house arrest. Two months passed before it was ascertained that he had returned to South Africa.
A Hassid who came to greet Berland's arrival at the airport said, "The rabbi's admirers from all ethnic groups and circles are determined to come to any place that he may be where they will reside until he returns to his home and his community."
Berland transmitted a recorded message to his supporters before boarding the plane that stated, "We ask everyone to behave calmly, with Derech Eretz, not to irritate the policemen or women, not to lift a hand, not to be impudent, not to say unpleasant words; everything needs to be according to Jewish law." He called for each of his supporters to donate 1,000 shekels to fund his legal defense.
Berland's attorney, Rachel Toren, said that her client's departure from Israel three years ago was unrelated to the investigation into his actions and that he was actually unaware of its existence when he left. She added that he intended to cooperate with the authorities and that he hoped the investigation would be finished swiftly and efficiently.
Toren stated, "Contrary to reports, the rabbi is suspected of acts of relatively low severity according to the law: Conspiracy to attack—and the attackers themselves were sentenced to community service—and indecent acts that are the lower limit of the relevant offenses. We have no doubt that at the investigation's conclusion, these suspicions will be refuted."
Rabbi Eliezer Berland, who fled Israel after being accused of sexual harassment, landed on Tuesday morning in the country after being extradited by the South African authorities. Upon exiting the plane, he was arrested by Israel Police officers who were awaiting his arrival and who took him for investigation.
Berland, a leader in the Breslov Hassidic movement, was greeted at Ben Gurion Airport by hundreds of Hassidim from his sect who came to express their support for him and who recited their morning prayers together.
The 79-year-old rabbi founded the Shuvu Bonim Yeshiva in Jerusalem. In 2012, one of his Hassidim alleged that he had seen Berland in an immodest position with a girl from the community. The man who made this allegation was beaten by of Hassidim, and this incident led to the police's investigating. Afterwards, additional testimonies were collected from women regarding sex crimes.
Berland fled the country to Morocco in 2013, shortly after he was supposed to present himself for questioning to the police. King Mohammed VI expelled Berland from Morocco, and from there he travelled to Zimbabwe, the Netherlands, and South Africa.
In Zimbabwe, the local media published information regarding Berland's alleged flight from justice. As a result, the authorities expelled him from that country as well, claiming that Berland had overstayed his tourist visa.
In 2014, the rabbi travelled to Johannesburg. Local police began searching for him there following an international arrest warrant from Interpol. Berland fled to the Netherlands, where he was arrested. There, a Dutch court decided that he should be extradited to Israel, and he was placed on house arrest.
On July 7, 2015, Berland fled again, violating his house arrest. Two months passed before it was ascertained that he had returned to South Africa.
A Hassid who came to greet Berland's arrival at the airport said, "The rabbi's admirers from all ethnic groups and circles are determined to come to any place that he may be where they will reside until he returns to his home and his community."
Berland transmitted a recorded message to his supporters before boarding the plane that stated, "We ask everyone to behave calmly, with Derech Eretz, not to irritate the policemen or women, not to lift a hand, not to be impudent, not to say unpleasant words; everything needs to be according to Jewish law." He called for each of his supporters to donate 1,000 shekels to fund his legal defense.
Berland's attorney, Rachel Toren, said that her client's departure from Israel three years ago was unrelated to the investigation into his actions and that he was actually unaware of its existence when he left. She added that he intended to cooperate with the authorities and that he hoped the investigation would be finished swiftly and efficiently.
Toren stated, "Contrary to reports, the rabbi is suspected of acts of relatively low severity according to the law: Conspiracy to attack—and the attackers themselves were sentenced to community service—and indecent acts that are the lower limit of the relevant offenses. We have no doubt that at the investigation's conclusion, these suspicions will be refuted."
17 july 2016
The two residents of Majdal Shams charged with murdering a Syrian being transported in an IDF ambulance in June 2015 have pled down to manslaughter and will serve 2- and 5-year sentences.
Amal Abu Saleh, 22, and Bashira Mahmoud, 48, Druze residents of Majdal Shams who were documented lynching a wounded Syrian being carried in an IDF ambulance in June of last year, have admitted to manslaughter under the terms of a plea agreement accepted on Sunday by the Nazareth District Court.
According to the plea bargain, Abu Saleh will be imprisoned for seven years and Mahmoud will serve two.
In June 2015, dozens of residents of Majdal Shams ambushed an Israel Defense Forces ambulance carrying two lightly wounded Syrian nationals. While driving through the town, the ambulance was stopped by a number of ATVs and soon surrounded by an angry mob. The medical staff locked themselves inside the ambulance, and the accompanying military police told the rioters that the patients were soldiers. Rejecting the claim, the mob rushed the ambulance and smashed one of its windows.
The driver escaped the mob and drove to the nearby village of Neve Ativ, where it was seized again and the two Syrian patients were attacked. One of them was killed, and two IDF soldiers were wounded.
Abu Saleh and Mahmoud were indicted for murder. According to the indictment, the victims, who were allegedly affiliated with the Islamist rebel organization Nusra Front, were attacked in revenge for attacks perpetrated by the organization against Druze communities in Syria.
The lynching was partially filmed by one of the perpetrators. They are seen to be shouting, stomping the wounded men and beating them with a stick. In total, 30 suspects were arrested, though all but the two mentioned above were released.
Amal Abu Saleh, 22, and Bashira Mahmoud, 48, Druze residents of Majdal Shams who were documented lynching a wounded Syrian being carried in an IDF ambulance in June of last year, have admitted to manslaughter under the terms of a plea agreement accepted on Sunday by the Nazareth District Court.
According to the plea bargain, Abu Saleh will be imprisoned for seven years and Mahmoud will serve two.
In June 2015, dozens of residents of Majdal Shams ambushed an Israel Defense Forces ambulance carrying two lightly wounded Syrian nationals. While driving through the town, the ambulance was stopped by a number of ATVs and soon surrounded by an angry mob. The medical staff locked themselves inside the ambulance, and the accompanying military police told the rioters that the patients were soldiers. Rejecting the claim, the mob rushed the ambulance and smashed one of its windows.
The driver escaped the mob and drove to the nearby village of Neve Ativ, where it was seized again and the two Syrian patients were attacked. One of them was killed, and two IDF soldiers were wounded.
Abu Saleh and Mahmoud were indicted for murder. According to the indictment, the victims, who were allegedly affiliated with the Islamist rebel organization Nusra Front, were attacked in revenge for attacks perpetrated by the organization against Druze communities in Syria.
The lynching was partially filmed by one of the perpetrators. They are seen to be shouting, stomping the wounded men and beating them with a stick. In total, 30 suspects were arrested, though all but the two mentioned above were released.
14 july 2016
The ages and places of residence of three teenagers who torched cars in a price tag attack outside Nazareth has been anounced; They are all between the ages of 15 and 16, and are from Karmiel, Balfouria, and Elon Moreh.
The three teenagers who set fire to cars and spray painted hate speech in the town of Yaffa outside of Nazareth have had their ages and hometowns released by the court. They are all aged between 15 and 16, and they are from Karmiel, Elon Moreh, and Balfouria.
The arson occurred on June 10 in a commercial vehicles compound. Two vehicles were lit on fire. Three other vehicles had the words "price tag" and "revenge' spray painted on them.
Police arrived at the scene and collected evidence, including security camera footage. The footage showed the three teenagers trespassing onto the property and setting fire to the vehicles.
Shin Bet security forces interrogated the teenagers who admitted that they had been planning to torch Arab vehicles out of revenge for Palestinian attacks on Jews. After the Sarona Market attacks, they decided to carry out their plan.
The Shin Bet investigation also revealed links between the teenagers and the Hilltop Youth movement.
Decyphering the attack and arresting the suspects is another step towards thwarting the activities of Jewish terror cells who have been carrying out attacks over the past two years," a Shin Bet statement said.
"The Shin Bet stresses that the enforcement measures which have been carried out over the past several months have led to a significant drop in the scope of violent attacks and terror against Palestinians and Israeli-Arabs."
The three teenagers who set fire to cars and spray painted hate speech in the town of Yaffa outside of Nazareth have had their ages and hometowns released by the court. They are all aged between 15 and 16, and they are from Karmiel, Elon Moreh, and Balfouria.
The arson occurred on June 10 in a commercial vehicles compound. Two vehicles were lit on fire. Three other vehicles had the words "price tag" and "revenge' spray painted on them.
Police arrived at the scene and collected evidence, including security camera footage. The footage showed the three teenagers trespassing onto the property and setting fire to the vehicles.
Shin Bet security forces interrogated the teenagers who admitted that they had been planning to torch Arab vehicles out of revenge for Palestinian attacks on Jews. After the Sarona Market attacks, they decided to carry out their plan.
The Shin Bet investigation also revealed links between the teenagers and the Hilltop Youth movement.
Decyphering the attack and arresting the suspects is another step towards thwarting the activities of Jewish terror cells who have been carrying out attacks over the past two years," a Shin Bet statement said.
"The Shin Bet stresses that the enforcement measures which have been carried out over the past several months have led to a significant drop in the scope of violent attacks and terror against Palestinians and Israeli-Arabs."
6 july 2016
Roni Alsheikh (l) and Menny Yitzhaki (r)
Knesset committee discusses the secret document containing transgressions committed by all MKs since 2014; Alsheikh: 'It is being presented as the opposite of what it is. There is no pressure to release its content.'
Israel's Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh defended the existence of the controversial ‘Yitzhaki document’ - a secret police document containing information and details of suspected criminal activitity by those who were members of the Knesset in 2014 on Wednesday .
Alsheikh told the Knesset's Interior Comittee that he stood by the decision to compile the document. “It is being presented as the opposite of what it actually is," he said.
"Compiling the document is not a crime. The crime here is the leaking of the document. Whoever leaked it wanted to create the impression that the police are collecting information about public servants and are just waiting to release it,” he contended.
Alsheikh rebuffed the notion that the police have been under pressure to expose its contents ever since the document’s existence was brought topublic light: “In order to remove any doubt, there is no pressure on us from politicians. There never was. However, we are indeed pressured by the media.”
He then explained that the document was created to a way of organizing the information the police had received, and that there was no intention to hold onto incriminating information and wait for the opportune moment to use it.
“The police are not allowed to seek out information about MKs and ministers. The police need to be aware of the limitations of its powers and rightly so,” said Alsheikh.
However, he maintainedin his defense of the document’s existence: “Mountains of information comes in, including about MKs. When credible information comes, when it is not clouded or blurry but rather something substantive, we cannot simply launch an initial invesigation. We take this information to the State Attorney and the Attorney General so that they can make the decision. Because we have a massive police force consisting of 30,000 policemen and 70 police stations, obviously there are things that can fall between the cracks.”
Alsheikh emphasized that “the aim of the document is precisely the opposite of collecting information about MKs. It is intended to ensure that this doesn’t happen. There is a control process which ensures that the head of the investigations branch can control what is happening underneath him. In light of the incidents which took place in the past, an inspection was conducted to make sure that nothing has gone unreported. When there is a commander who doesn’t want problems, he carries out an inspection. The moment that the document go to the Police Investigations division, the document died.”
At the beginning of the meeting, MK Michal Rozin (Meretz) said, “According to our knowledge, there are around 100 cases. These cases were not checked or investigated.” MK Mickey Rosenthal (Zionist Union) turned to Alsheikh and to Maj. Gen. Menny Yitzchaki and said: “None of you understand the severity of the situation. You are holding the public security minister by the balls.”
The document was exposed a few weeks ago by a journalist on channel 10. It was prepared two years ago at the direction of the intelligence branch of the police and included information on suspicion of criminal activities committed by all MKs and ministers in the previous Knesset. It was created at the request of Menny Yitzhaki.
The document accumulated all the information under police control obtained from every possible source and included information relating to alleged transgressions by MKs which included bribery. The journalist who exposed the document’s existence claimed that it contained the names of supposed witnesses but the information never materialized into a serious investigation.
According to an earlier report published by Yedioth Ahronoth, the morning following Gilad Erdan’s nomination of Brig. Gen. (res.) Gal Hirsch to the position of police commissioner, Yitzhaki requested that all information held by the police about him be publicized, some of which led to the termination of his appointment.
Knesset committee discusses the secret document containing transgressions committed by all MKs since 2014; Alsheikh: 'It is being presented as the opposite of what it is. There is no pressure to release its content.'
Israel's Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh defended the existence of the controversial ‘Yitzhaki document’ - a secret police document containing information and details of suspected criminal activitity by those who were members of the Knesset in 2014 on Wednesday .
Alsheikh told the Knesset's Interior Comittee that he stood by the decision to compile the document. “It is being presented as the opposite of what it actually is," he said.
"Compiling the document is not a crime. The crime here is the leaking of the document. Whoever leaked it wanted to create the impression that the police are collecting information about public servants and are just waiting to release it,” he contended.
Alsheikh rebuffed the notion that the police have been under pressure to expose its contents ever since the document’s existence was brought topublic light: “In order to remove any doubt, there is no pressure on us from politicians. There never was. However, we are indeed pressured by the media.”
He then explained that the document was created to a way of organizing the information the police had received, and that there was no intention to hold onto incriminating information and wait for the opportune moment to use it.
“The police are not allowed to seek out information about MKs and ministers. The police need to be aware of the limitations of its powers and rightly so,” said Alsheikh.
However, he maintainedin his defense of the document’s existence: “Mountains of information comes in, including about MKs. When credible information comes, when it is not clouded or blurry but rather something substantive, we cannot simply launch an initial invesigation. We take this information to the State Attorney and the Attorney General so that they can make the decision. Because we have a massive police force consisting of 30,000 policemen and 70 police stations, obviously there are things that can fall between the cracks.”
Alsheikh emphasized that “the aim of the document is precisely the opposite of collecting information about MKs. It is intended to ensure that this doesn’t happen. There is a control process which ensures that the head of the investigations branch can control what is happening underneath him. In light of the incidents which took place in the past, an inspection was conducted to make sure that nothing has gone unreported. When there is a commander who doesn’t want problems, he carries out an inspection. The moment that the document go to the Police Investigations division, the document died.”
At the beginning of the meeting, MK Michal Rozin (Meretz) said, “According to our knowledge, there are around 100 cases. These cases were not checked or investigated.” MK Mickey Rosenthal (Zionist Union) turned to Alsheikh and to Maj. Gen. Menny Yitzchaki and said: “None of you understand the severity of the situation. You are holding the public security minister by the balls.”
The document was exposed a few weeks ago by a journalist on channel 10. It was prepared two years ago at the direction of the intelligence branch of the police and included information on suspicion of criminal activities committed by all MKs and ministers in the previous Knesset. It was created at the request of Menny Yitzhaki.
The document accumulated all the information under police control obtained from every possible source and included information relating to alleged transgressions by MKs which included bribery. The journalist who exposed the document’s existence claimed that it contained the names of supposed witnesses but the information never materialized into a serious investigation.
According to an earlier report published by Yedioth Ahronoth, the morning following Gilad Erdan’s nomination of Brig. Gen. (res.) Gal Hirsch to the position of police commissioner, Yitzhaki requested that all information held by the police about him be publicized, some of which led to the termination of his appointment.
21 june 2016
Adi Zim
Israel Tax Authority believes the suspects carried out fraud and money laundering of about NIS 200 million; the money was laundered through check clearing companies which have been forced to stop trading.
Nineteen people were arrested Monday on suspicion of fraud and money laundering of about NIS 200 million in state funds, according to an investigation by Israel Police's financial unit and the Israel Tax Authority.
One of the major suspects was a businessman who lives in a luxury villa in Savyon, and who drives a car valued at about NIS 2m, while a second major suspect was businessman Adi Zim, 46, who at the age of 15 opened a grocery store and became a multi-millionaire.
Among the allegations against all the suspects are tax fraud, forgery, fraud and money laundering. The investigation revealed that several employment agencies in various fields such as security, nursing, cleaning and agriculture inflated the number of their employees, reported on the alleged salaries paid to fictitious employees, issued false invoices, and inflated various expenses on invoices. As a result, they received tax returns from the state and paid less taxes.
The employment agencies are suspected of having transferred approximately NIS 200 million earned by fraudulent means to check-clearing companies such as SR Accord- who laundered the money.
Most of the money was then transferred to employment agencies. It is suspected that the check-clearing companies cashed checks despite being aware of their fraudulent nature.
Investigators on Sunday raided the homes and offices of the suspects, confiscating documents and property, including a luxury BMW car.
The Israel Securities Authority stopped SR Accord's trading on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. As a result its share price plunged more than 40%. Sources close to the company said that this represented "an earthquake in the check-clearing market" .
Israel Tax Authority believes the suspects carried out fraud and money laundering of about NIS 200 million; the money was laundered through check clearing companies which have been forced to stop trading.
Nineteen people were arrested Monday on suspicion of fraud and money laundering of about NIS 200 million in state funds, according to an investigation by Israel Police's financial unit and the Israel Tax Authority.
One of the major suspects was a businessman who lives in a luxury villa in Savyon, and who drives a car valued at about NIS 2m, while a second major suspect was businessman Adi Zim, 46, who at the age of 15 opened a grocery store and became a multi-millionaire.
Among the allegations against all the suspects are tax fraud, forgery, fraud and money laundering. The investigation revealed that several employment agencies in various fields such as security, nursing, cleaning and agriculture inflated the number of their employees, reported on the alleged salaries paid to fictitious employees, issued false invoices, and inflated various expenses on invoices. As a result, they received tax returns from the state and paid less taxes.
The employment agencies are suspected of having transferred approximately NIS 200 million earned by fraudulent means to check-clearing companies such as SR Accord- who laundered the money.
Most of the money was then transferred to employment agencies. It is suspected that the check-clearing companies cashed checks despite being aware of their fraudulent nature.
Investigators on Sunday raided the homes and offices of the suspects, confiscating documents and property, including a luxury BMW car.
The Israel Securities Authority stopped SR Accord's trading on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. As a result its share price plunged more than 40%. Sources close to the company said that this represented "an earthquake in the check-clearing market" .
10 june 2016
Rabbi of Western Wall calls Lesley Sachs's act a "provocation" and "desecration of God;" Reform movement: Majority of Jews in Israel and Diaspora stand with us.
Women of the Wall (WOW) Director Lesley Sachs was arrested Tuesday after smuggling a Torah scroll into the women's section of the of the Western Wall Plaza so that women could read from it, against legal regulations established for the holy places.
Her arrest took place after Rosh Chodesh (the new Jewish month) prayers at the Western Wall (the Kotel), in which dozens of WOW members participated. WOW members have been participating in rosh chodesh prayers for 27 years. It marked an escalation in the saga between WOW and Kotel authorities. The government recently decided to reopen discussions on the Kotel compromise, following pressure from Haredi parties in the coalition. Sachs was set free hours after her arrest.
In November, WOW petitioned the High Court to rule on their right to read from a Torah scroll at the Western Wall Plaza and order the abrogration of the rule banning the entry of private torah scrolls to the holy area. They further asked the state for compensation for the discrimination that they alleged to have endured, claiming that the "state sacrificed women's right to read from a Torah scroll at the Kotel."
Since then, women have managed to smuggle Torah scrolls a number of times to the Western Wall plaza. "The Kotel Agreement", approved by the government in January, was supposed to resolve the conflict after a compromise was reached between liberal and ultra-Orthodox movements together. But, just two months after the celebrated decision, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu redetermined his position following pressure from the ultra-Orthodox, who backed away from the terms of the agreement.
David Barhoum, WOWs lawyer, said, "The arrest of Lesley Sachs is no less than scandalous," and called it "a futile arrest which is absolutely illegal."
The Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites, Shmuel Rabinovitch, called WOW's act a "provocation" and a "desecration of God". He was shaken by the smuggling of the Torah scroll by WOW under the clothes of one of their members. He even announced that he would fast due to the humiliation of the scroll.
"Jews throughout the generations gave their lives to preserve the sanctity and dignity of the Torah scroll", he said, "but for the Women of the Wall, individual rights seemingly are holier." He demanded that Religious Affairs Minister David Azoulay set clear rules regarding behavior at the Kotel to stop the site's monthly "humiliation."
The Reform movement was incensed and hinted at causing an uproar near government offices following the arrest. "We will not submit to this reality any longer," they said. "The overwhelming majority of the Jewish public in Israel and the Diaspora stands with us."
Rabbi Gilad Kariv, director of the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism, said "The Israeli government needs to decide where it's heading—towards the implementation of the agreements reached or reviving the difficult dispute confronting the Jewish people regarding this issue."
"Women will read the Torah, wear a prayer shawl, and sing aloud (which is not permitted in mixed company by the ultra-Orthodox —ed.), just as they vote for Knesset members and serve as judges and officers in the IDF, and neither the police nor the Kotel rabbi will put a stop to this process, but rather, they will strengthen it."
The Conservative movement said in response, "The Israel Police decided to fulfill the commands of the Kotel's rabbi instead of doing its job and upholding the law. It's not clear how this takes place time after time. In the past, they arrested WOW women due to wearing prayer shawls and tefillin, until the court ruled that the Kotel rabbi overstepped his authority and that the police had erred, and now the same thing will happen regarding the Torah scroll."
Women of the Wall (WOW) Director Lesley Sachs was arrested Tuesday after smuggling a Torah scroll into the women's section of the of the Western Wall Plaza so that women could read from it, against legal regulations established for the holy places.
Her arrest took place after Rosh Chodesh (the new Jewish month) prayers at the Western Wall (the Kotel), in which dozens of WOW members participated. WOW members have been participating in rosh chodesh prayers for 27 years. It marked an escalation in the saga between WOW and Kotel authorities. The government recently decided to reopen discussions on the Kotel compromise, following pressure from Haredi parties in the coalition. Sachs was set free hours after her arrest.
In November, WOW petitioned the High Court to rule on their right to read from a Torah scroll at the Western Wall Plaza and order the abrogration of the rule banning the entry of private torah scrolls to the holy area. They further asked the state for compensation for the discrimination that they alleged to have endured, claiming that the "state sacrificed women's right to read from a Torah scroll at the Kotel."
Since then, women have managed to smuggle Torah scrolls a number of times to the Western Wall plaza. "The Kotel Agreement", approved by the government in January, was supposed to resolve the conflict after a compromise was reached between liberal and ultra-Orthodox movements together. But, just two months after the celebrated decision, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu redetermined his position following pressure from the ultra-Orthodox, who backed away from the terms of the agreement.
David Barhoum, WOWs lawyer, said, "The arrest of Lesley Sachs is no less than scandalous," and called it "a futile arrest which is absolutely illegal."
The Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites, Shmuel Rabinovitch, called WOW's act a "provocation" and a "desecration of God". He was shaken by the smuggling of the Torah scroll by WOW under the clothes of one of their members. He even announced that he would fast due to the humiliation of the scroll.
"Jews throughout the generations gave their lives to preserve the sanctity and dignity of the Torah scroll", he said, "but for the Women of the Wall, individual rights seemingly are holier." He demanded that Religious Affairs Minister David Azoulay set clear rules regarding behavior at the Kotel to stop the site's monthly "humiliation."
The Reform movement was incensed and hinted at causing an uproar near government offices following the arrest. "We will not submit to this reality any longer," they said. "The overwhelming majority of the Jewish public in Israel and the Diaspora stands with us."
Rabbi Gilad Kariv, director of the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism, said "The Israeli government needs to decide where it's heading—towards the implementation of the agreements reached or reviving the difficult dispute confronting the Jewish people regarding this issue."
"Women will read the Torah, wear a prayer shawl, and sing aloud (which is not permitted in mixed company by the ultra-Orthodox —ed.), just as they vote for Knesset members and serve as judges and officers in the IDF, and neither the police nor the Kotel rabbi will put a stop to this process, but rather, they will strengthen it."
The Conservative movement said in response, "The Israel Police decided to fulfill the commands of the Kotel's rabbi instead of doing its job and upholding the law. It's not clear how this takes place time after time. In the past, they arrested WOW women due to wearing prayer shawls and tefillin, until the court ruled that the Kotel rabbi overstepped his authority and that the police had erred, and now the same thing will happen regarding the Torah scroll."
