Haredim threaten to boycott Mamilla Mall

Ynet News ^ | 25 Dec 2010 | Ari Galahar

[BlackVeil]

The ultra-Orthodox community is threatening to boycott Jerusalem's luxurious Mamilla shopping complex due to electric ornaments resembling Christmas lights, which have been placed along the boulevard.

Wall posters calling on the public to boycott the mall's stores began appearing in haredi neighborhoods several days after the ornaments were placed in the shopping complex.

The ads – titled "Is Jerusalem becoming Christian?" – were signed by the Rabbis' Committee for the Sanctity of Jerusalem. They stated that "if this idol worship is not removed immediately, we will declare a consumer boycott against the mall and the Mamilla Hotel, owned by businessman Alfred Akirov."

The haredim are troubled by the fact that the Mamilla Boulevard is one of the most pleasant ways to reach the Western Wall, prompting tens of thousands of Jews to cross the mall on their way to the holy site, "forcibly exposing them to real paganism".

The shopping complex's management clarified that it had nothing against the haredi or religious public and was willing to cover the light bulbs with a large cloth if they violated Jewish Law in any way.

"Every year, from before Hanukkah through February, we light up the boulevard with these lamps in order to begin the holiday of Hanukkah with a lot of light, and then continue with the lights throughout the winter," explained the Mamilla Mall CEO.

"Because I don't wish to hurt anyone, I agreed to first of all remove the green plastic, which was aimed at covering the electricity system's cables, and because they interpreted it in a completely different way I decided to remove it. I apologize if I have caused anyone injustice."

According to the CEO, Christmas trees were never placed in the mall and will never be seen there.

[DManA]

Is the threat of hell a character building exercise too?

[sinanju]

So that’s it? Very nice. I recall reading that the “Jerusalem”-style architecture is such that you look at many buildings and think they are centuries old when they might go back only a few decades.

So it was the Christmas decorations the Haredim cannot abide? I guess they keep the window mannequins conservatively attired.

[papabrody]

Excellent post! Let him keep posting these things.....HaShem will deal with him.

Seems some Freepers freak-out about Xmas lights/trees in Israel, but tell the rest of the world not to dictate how the Jewish State should operate.

[dennisw]

Thanks much! And I will be reposting this when BlackHearted BlackVeil posts more anti-Israel drek. The boy just can’t help himself. He’s like your average lefty with their promotion of Palestinian Jihad against Israel.

[Zionist Conspirator]

Thanks for the info on our “friend,” dw.

[Amberdawn]

The ignorance of Jewish kids in state run schools is due more to the curricula, for the Orthodax, it’s purposeful. They don’t want their kids exposed to other religions period.

[Amberdawn]

Orthodox, sorry. My point being that there are chauvinists in every religion.

[BlackVeil]

Are you laughing at me? Anyway, of course I am not a young man, I am a middle-aged lady professor.

Everyone knows that.

Shall post what I like.

And stop being such a snob about Australia. It is a fine place. An Australian, Professor Indyk, went over and even was Israeli ambassador from Washington - and his accent was no better than mine.

This article is, in fact, a respectably sourced article from the Israeli national news service.

[BlackVeil]

It seems inexplicable that so many of the Hassidic Jews in Israel are welfare dependent and even socially marginalised, when this is not the case in Western nations - there, they have extremely low rates of unemployment, and indeed are often prosperous.

There are a lot of factors here, but one is that it is virtually impossible to get a proper job in Israel - as a man - unless one has done military service. A great many of the Hassidic Jews prefer not to. Once they reach the age of 40, this requirement is lifted - but 20 years of unemployment is a bad start to participation in the workforce.

Ultimately, Israel might have have to drop compulsory, universal military service. As it is, the waves of exemptions are getting higher, more and more don’t serve, and it seems to be dividing the country.

[dennisw]

 

You are really tripping on yourself. Since when would Israel ever take advice from a nasty guy like you? They’ll get along just fine without you. The prayers of the Haredi reach Hashem and defend Israel same as the IDF and IAF. It is irrelevant whether you sitting in nice comfortable irrelevant Australia believe this or not.

I hope you have some kind of purpose and meaning in your life in aimless, beach loving, beer swilling Australia. Because the Jews of Israel have many, one of which is survival in a hostile sea of Muslims

I got an idea for you Mr. BlackHeart. Instead of obsessing over a million or so fundamentalist Jews in Israel why not take up a new hobby. Why not educate yourself about the very real threat of fundamentalist Islam which is 300 times larger that any body of fundamentalist Jews. But when I see your posting record this is not a concern of yours

In a way the Jew obsession of guys like you is a compliment. You are magnetically attracted to Israel by forces you do not know. Jerusalem is the City of David (King David), is the center of the world, and this gravitational field is pulling you in. Dittos for the Muslim Arabs who claim Jerusalem as theirs even though it is never mentioned in the Koran.

 

 

Jerusalem: Center of the World

In the PBS special "Jerusalem: Center of the World," Ray Suarez takes a historical look at the city where Jews, Christians and Muslims have come for centuries to look for God.
Flash version requires Flash Player

 

zE

[dennisw]

Are you laughing at me? Anyway, of course I am not a young man, I am a middle-aged lady professor.>>>>>>

A Jew obsessed Aussie nutbag

[Celtic Conservative]

I have no dog in this fight, but it seems you are the angry one, Dennisw. Just an observation, not an attack. Take it FWIW. If you think I'm wrong, I respect your opinion.

CC

[dennisw]

I’m angry so what. Lets say you are Irish. How would you feel if I liked to post trash about Ireland and the Catholic clergy?

Black Veil is just an Israel hating university professor. Very common these days

[Celtic Conservative]

Dude, the anti Catholic thing goes on her at FR often, until the mods tell them to knock it off. I just refuse to get sucked into anothers hatred. They think what they think,and I think what I think. To Me their hatred and ignorance are their handicap,not mine. But for future reference, I was told in a college sociology course to look closely at an argument. Whoever is yelling the loudest is usually the one losing.

CC

[dennisw]

There are one billion plus Catholics in the world. You would not feel the same way if there were only 14 million. There are 6 million Jews in Israel and 14 million worldwide

I can’t think of any Catholic country that is surrounded by 300 million hostiles who despise them because they are of another faith. This is Isreal’s situation

I’ll bet there are 75-100 million Irish Catholics in this world when you include Americans, Canadians, New Zealanders, Australians, Brits of Irish extraction

[dennisw]

Dunno if you are Irish but maybe someday you will have a chance to read this book by an Irishman who was a great friend of Israel
________
________
.

http://www.amazon.com/Siege-Saga-Israel-Zionism/dp/0671633104
great book on the history of Israel, December 27, 1998

This review is about: The Siege: The Saga of Israel and Zionism (Paperback)
So how did Conor Cruise O’Brien, a born-and-bred Irishman, come to be writing a history of Israel? As he tells it, the United Nations used to seat its delegates alphabetically: and so he, representing Ireland, found himself sitting right between Israel and Iraq. This began his interest in the history of Israel, and his research eventually produced this fantastic book — well-written, well-researched, and a pleasure to read. The subject matter itself is pretty interesting, and O’Brien has so many great turns-of-phrase that I found myself underlining as I went along. This book is highly recommended to anyone who wants to find out more about how Israel came to be.