Breaking News: Arrests of Jews

As received:

Nadia Matar and Yehudit Katzover have just been arrested in Netzer (outside of Efrat).

They are in the police van, on their way to the police station being accused of trespassing, while they were attending a shiur (Torah class) in honor of Rosh Chodesh Adar, in Netzer.

Arabs who saw the Jews in Netzeralerted the police, who arrived within minutes.

Sadly, the pressure of Left, the UN and the article by Amira Hess in HaArertz work, and the authorities cave into their pressure just as they did with the hunger strike of the jihadist.

This Past Friday at Shedma

Gemma reports:

January 1st 2010 was another regular Friday morning lecture at Shdema – the hill near Jerusalem which is part of Area C [ie full Israeli control] yet demanded by the Arabs. With the belief that the Land of Israel belongs to the People of Israel, Women in Green and others have been working to keep this hill in Jewish hands for the past 18 months, and this first Friday in 2010 the speaker was Caroline Glick – Senior Contributing Editor of the Jerusalem Post

Pics:





More here.

A Question for Nadia Matar

Nadia Matar has written:-

I am convinced that had we managed to keep over a thousand people in Bet Hashalom also on Thursday, the expulsion would not have taken place and may this be a lesson for us in the future.

Why were there not 1000 people there?

Or 5000?

Could it have been that some people, after seeing and reading about the actions of the few undisciplined violent persons there, who were not forcefully denounced, simply stayed away?

Is that the lesson?

And I expand at my Arutz 7 blog.

The Four Ladies of Shedma

Here they are, Jewesses all:



(l-r: Nadia Matar, Inna Viniarski, Datiya Yitzhaki and Yehudit Katzover)

And you ask 'what's Shedma?', right.

Well. I try to keep my posts shorter than longer, so let's just say it's an abandoned IDF base near Bethlehem that is about to go over to the PA and there's a struggle for its possession. More here, here and here.

The above four women have been in the forefront of organizing the effort to maintain a Jewish presence there. Nonviolence and positive constructive projects has been the method. Kol HaKavod! Ladies.

Here We Go Again

I smell a police state warming itself up.



(picture by Gemma Blech)

...There I was, sitting on the stone bench, discussing the issue with the lawyer, surrounded by friends - but the police obviously had no patience to wait till I finish my phone call. I heard him shout: Nadia, come with me right now otherwise you will be responsible for the violence that will happen here! Immediately after saying that, policemen started violently beating the women who were surrounding me to push their way through to get me. It was unbearable to see how they had no qualms beating and hitting older women and men. When they reached me they grabbed my arms and my legs, lifted me up like a sack of potatoes, shlepped me to the van in the most immodest way and threw me in the van. Being a religious woman I cover my head with a cap. In this violent commotion, my cap fell off so when I was in the van I raised myself, stuck my head out of the van and demanded to get my cap back. The policeman who was the driver barked at me saying: sit down right now. Another policewoman shouted: sit down right now or I will close the door on your head. I told them: I will not sit down till you give me my hat. To no avail.

The driver policeman, whose name I found out later is Avi Nissan #1114214, then grabbed my right wrist and twisted it in the most painful and violent way. The pain shot through my body. I was unable to stand and was thrown down on the seat-the door of the van shut. Then Michal Shofet, longtime Women in Green activist was pushed into the van too. I asked her why they arrested her. She told me that she was outside and witnessed the most brutal police behavior. When she saw that one woman had been pushed to the floor and looked as if she was fainting, she started shouting at the policeman demanding he stop hitting. That is when he grabbed her and pushed her into the van.She said that her arm was really hurting. When I told her how upset was that I had no head covering, she gave me her orange scarf.

...I want to thank all our dear family members, friends and supporters who came and gave us chizuk (strength). You guys are great. A special thanks to Honenu and Attorney Ephraim Katzir...

One thing is for sure. If the Olmert government thinks they scared us with their violent Bolshevik behavior, the exact opposite is the truth. We realize that we have touched a sensitive nerve. No arrests nor beatings will stop us. We will continue to fight for the Land, the People and the Torah of Israel. And if it is a crime to love the Land of Israel, then it is our honor to be arrested for such a "crime"!!

With Love of Israel,

Nadia Matar

P.S. Here is a link to the Arutz 7 article with video clips of the vigil:

Nadia Matar Arrested

Last night, after a demo against Condi Rice and Ehud Olmert's plans to hand over sovereign Israeli territory, Nadia was arrested (here, in Hebrew).

Why Arutz 7 doesn't have this up in English, I don't know.

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UPDATE

(from a close acquaintance)

I am unable to sleep after witnessing what I did this evening.

I went to a demonstration to protest Olmert and Rice's meeting and the pressure being put on Israel for more and more concessions - not that our Prime Minister is not ready to yield. The rally was called for 7:00 PM at French Square which is opposite the Kings Hotel at the corner of Ramban and King George, Jerusalem.

Nadia Matar of WIG (Women in Green) spoke as did Elyakim Haetzni and a couple of other people. Peace Now had a demonstration closer to Olmert's house . We finished our demonstration and were ready to disperse when the police suddenly said that they wanted to arrest Nadia who was sitting on a wall in the
Square with some people around her - all quiet.

A heavyset policeman was standing next to me and seemed to be running the show. I asked him why he had ordered the action and he said that it was because she 'had a history'. There were about 20 people standing around and we all were shocked. Nadia had done nothing wrong; we were all witness to this. If they thought that she had why did they wait until everything was quiet and the main part of the crowd had left (there were probably 200 people there at the height of the rally and signs were distributed that said "Israel is not Olmert's Real Estate"/ "Condoleezza Rice Go Home",and the like). It was obvious that the police knew that had more people been present there would have been stiff opposition to their even approaching Nadia who was just sitting and not doing anything.

There were about a dozen police there and suddenly the heavyset one charged into the group and directed others to take Nadia. She was dragged by 4 of them -two held her legs and two her arms - and another woman who tried to protect her was also taken into custody. Both were practically thrown into a van with others following and trying to prevent this - to no avail. There was no effort to protect their modesty; Nadia's cap also fell off. While trying to take hold of her, the police had pushed other people around without a care.

I had never seen this kind of police violence - although I had heard of it. A man in the group had a van and a bunch of us piled into it and went to the police station in Talpiot. We had all been witness to this and wanted to be sure that Nadia and Michelle (?) were ok. The police did not let us see them and we finally went to a waiting room. Originally, we had been told that they would be kept only for an hour - to be investigated but it was much longer. Finally, Nadia's lawyer, Ephraim Katsir, arrived, and we had a chance to speak with him, too. He spoke to some of the police and kept us apprised of what was happening.

A bit later, Ephraim told us that Nadia and Michelle were going to be held overnight. While we were waiting a letter had been composed - complaining about the police violence. Several people signed. We left after Ephraim told us that there would probably be a court hearing tomorrow - Thursday. Someone undertook to let us know if it will take place for sure.

I do not know what to do with these facts. Just wanted to record them and let you know. Meanwhile, a short distance from our rally, Ehud Olmert and Condoleezza Rice were meeting; Peace Now was permitted to stand just outside the barriers of the PM's home - no doubt Rice could see those who support Olmert. Interesting to me was the fact that Hezbollah can have open rallies in the US and make all kinds of threats - but freedom of speech is not permitted in Israel.

Justice, justice shall you pursue. Nonsense!! This arrest was nothing less than a political obscenity.

Chana

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UPDATE


Arutz 7 gets it up:

Published: 09/20/07, 1:50 PM
Nadia Matar Arrested After Peaceful Protest