(VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)

There are shouts in the night, harassment of children, pulling of head coverings from the heads of married women, throwing stones and beating of Yeshiva bochurim – these are some of the horrific incidents described in the conversation with Bechadrei Chareidim by chareidi residents who live near Rival Street in Ramat Bet Shemesh Bet, referring to the delinquent youths who roam the streets in order to cause riots and terrorize residents.

Then there are the actions of extremist Chareidim, who have taken matters into their own hands in the battle against the youth, referred to as ‘shabavnikim.’

A video documenting a 16-year-old girl who ran for her life in Beit Shemesh was released a week ago and caused a great uproar in the Israeli media. The documentation led to many condemnations, and Mayor Moshe Abutbul explained that the girl’s pursuers belonged to a small and radical chareidi extremists referred to as ‘Sikrikim’ that was embittering lives of residents. However, the report reveals that the opposition to the frenzied youth phenomenon in the streets of Beit Shemesh are rather ostensibly normative chareidi residents, as revealed in their testimony.

In a conversation with Bechadrei, the residents accuse Mayor Abutbul of evading responsibility, and instead of removing the phenomenon that is causing panic, he accuses those who confront the boys and girls roaming the streets. Residents say they are aware that when there is one protest or another, the extremists join in. However, the protests are often initiated or approved of by the normative factions.

Relating to the Sikirikim, Abutbul said “This is an extremist group whose actions even the police cannot anticipate and cannot control,” Abutbul said in an interview with Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) after the video of the chase after the girl was published. They mayor intensified his position, adding, “I do not need such residents.”

In an interview with Ayala Hasson on Radio 103, Abutbul reiterated, “It is the same faction that makes life difficult for us. This is a small, noisy group with whom we have no direct connection. The rabbis are also fighting this group because they are also causing them embarrassment – this is not the way of Torah.”

“The children and the mother fled in terror”

However, the report adds that other residents are also opposed to the phenomenon of the delinquent youth, who are rampant in the streets. Moshe G., a resident of the neighborhood, spoke with Bechadrei and said that over the past half year, the rampant youth phenomenon was on the back burner, so to speak. “They were walking around the neighborhood, sitting in Rival Square, occasionally harassing the residents, but it did not happen much. The rabbis were in contact with the parents of some of the girls, who took it upon themselves to try and calm the situation.”

But in the past two months he says, the situation has worsened. “Children have become afraid to leave home, fearing that they would be harassed, and most of the harassment was at night,” he said. He explains that they began coming at night, arriving with dogs, one without a leash. He adds that people are fearful of the dogs, running for their lives, adding, “A woman who passed was attacked and her hair covering pulled off. My sister-in-law was sitting in the park located between Rival and Rivaz Streets during the evening hours, when suddenly, a boy arrived with a dog, released the dog on the children, who of course panicked and ran away in terror”.

According to the resident of the neighborhood, a number of requests were made to the police, and indeed a police car arrived at the scene. The policemen separated the troublemakers from the people, and they left the scene. “Last Sunday, after the anger of the residents reached a peak, a number of residents beat one of the youths, who then filed a complaint with the police against them, giving police four names, one of whom was arrested and brought to court. He was detained for two days and then he was released.

“Abandoned us completely”

According to other residents, the city’s rabbis, Rabbi Nosson Kupshitz and Rabbi Rotenberg were in contact with the police, and last Thursday they reached an agreement that no more demonstrations would be held by the residents. At the same time, they received a commitment from police to increase their presence to maintain order in the community. They add that last Wednesday, a planned protest was not held in keeping with their commitment to police, but on Tisha B’Av, the youths gathered in the square. Some 50 youths gathered on Rival and began throwing stones and chasing after passersby. People ran into the nearby shul for cover. They phoned police, but they did not arrive for some time.

“An avreich from the Cheftziba neighborhood happened to pass by and was attacked and beaten badly. Vehicles were damaged and when police arrived, one youth who was holding a stick was detained. The youths dispersed” David A., a community resident, added.

Another community resident, Moshe G. is quoted explaining “we have been abandoned despite keeping up our promise to police. The disturbances continue, and they have even gotten worse. I fear sending my daughter outside to the grocery store. I don’t know who will be waiting for her downstairs”.

Nine arrests were made: “They are disrupting our lives”

Tzion District Police Chief Ofir Shomer has taken steps and police are monitoring the situation since Sunday, 10 Menachem Av. Since then some of the delinquent youths were arrested, one who was apprehended with a metal rod in his hand. Beit Shemesh police are under the Tzion district’s jurisdiction, and they are responsible for the area security including its residents.

“We will not permit anyone taking part in the violence to slip through our fingers, those participating in serious disturbances and disrupting and harming the lives of citizens. Regarding those suspects, we will use all means at our disposal and we will bring them in and investigate their actions,” said an officer assigned to the Tzion district.

We are dealing with youths averaging in age from 15-17, and when arrested, a decision is made if they are to be held overnight and arraigned the following day, at which time the decision is made to extend their detention or to release them with restrictions. Police are signaling that a major operation is going to take place, a continuation of efforts which began last week. A total of eleven arrests have been made and police are planning to throw the book at the suspects, using the full weight of the law against them in addition to efforts to bring an end to the violence in the streets.

Bechadrei Chareidim quotes Mayor Moshe Abutbul, who saw the video and was simply outraged, calling on police to go after these youths with a mighty fist, to throw the book at them, those responsible for threatening and harming residents.

Regarding the claims made by residents, the mayor explains there is another side to the coin, citing there are youths from the community who are violent, using violence against chareidim and he has called on police to act against them as well. Hence, police have reviewed video and plan to apprehend those involved and bring them to justice as well.

The mayor added, “Violence is prohibited and illegal, and from both a halachic and legal standpoint.” The mayor condemns any and all forms of violence against any citizen in the city and calls on police to deal with the violence severely, also calling on local authorities that deal with troubled youths to step in as well towards bringing an end to the violence in the community.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)