| I have edited out some portions of Hillel's letter in order
to remove certain statements the moderator viewed as potentially
defamatory. My edits are indicated with XXXXX or [....].
Sam
<<< TAVENG::$1$DUA21:[NOTES$LIBRARY]BAGELS.NOTE;1 >>>
-< BAGELS and other things of Jewish interest >-
================================================================================
Note 1470.1 Peaceful protestors beaten in Jerusalem 1 of 1
IRALLY::LEVITIN "Action = Life" 154 lines 10-AUG-1995 19:27
-< Email from Hillel Novetsky >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jerusalem, August 8, 1995
Dear Wexner Fellows and Alumni,
I am writing to you from Jerusalem because you may not be aware of
some of the events that have transpired over the past week. What I will
write has no connection to political views. It relates rather to the most
basic democratic rights, which we take for granted. It is a story which
you probably have not read yet in the media, but one which desperately
needs to be appearing there.
You may not even believe the story which I am about to recount to you.
I am not sure I would, had I not been there to witness it. Even the
average Israeli citizen probably does not know the full extent of what
happened at the events I will describe. He or she only knows what the
Israeli government, owned and controlled TV and radio, chooses to
broadcast to him. And they have not told much of this story.
* * *
On Wednesday night, August 2nd, along with 1000 other people (mostly
entire families of women, men and children, many of whom hold
American citizenship), I attended a peaceful rally in Jerusalem calling for
the release of Rabbi Shlomo Riskin and Nadia Matar. Rabbi Riskin is the
American born Chief Rabbi of Efrat who served as a Rabbi of Lincoln
Square Synagogue in Manhattan before moving to Israel. Nadia Matar is
a 29 year old mother of three young children and a leader of "Women in
Green".
Nadia and Rabbi Riskin had been arrested that morning along with 100 or
so others for practicing passive civil disobedience on a hilltop in Efrat (an
article on p. 5 of August 7th's New York Times describes their efforts in
detail). While the others arrested were soon released, the Israeli
government ordered that Nadia and Rabbi Riskin remain imprisoned as an
example of what happens to those who oppose Israeli government policy
with acts of passive civil disobedience.
As we peacefully demonstrated in a public area for their release, baton
wielding policemen charged into the assembled crowd, stomping on people
with their horses, not even giving pause to distinguish between the young
and the elderly, women and men, able-bodied or infirm. This scene
repeated itself at the end of the rally; this time, even as families were
attempting to escape from the site of the demonstration.
By the end of the demonstration, hundreds of police were now at the
scene, chasing after the retreating crowd and savagely beating anyone they
could catch. As I was hastily leaving, I suddenly saw a policeman
violently pummeling a young boy, perhaps, 10 or 11 years old. When I
asked the officer for identification, he grabbed me by the throat and
started hitting me.
This was only one of numerous traumatic incidents that night. Everyone
in attendance described shocking stories of personally witnessed police
brutality, the likes of which I would have imagined transpired only in the
former Soviet Union and other police states. As of this past Sunday,
people were still hospitalized, undergoing operations for injuries suffered
at the hands of the police.
Later, when I inquired, I discovered that this event was by no means an
isolated incident. Israeli Police have routinely, violently beaten
demonstrators at rallies opposing government policy. In particular, the
"Women in Green" have been the victims of such acts. The violence on
numerous occasions has been so grievous, that they have produced a video
documenting some of these human rights abuses by the Israeli Police.
"Women in Green" is a group composed of determined women who
believe in the basic democratic rights of freedom of speech and assembly.
One meeting with these women and you will see that these are not the
faces of "violent, fanatical, extremist settlers," but rather the voices of
large sectors, if not a slowly awakening majority, of the Israeli public.
These women understandably fear for the safety and the security of their
young children and families who, if the Israeli government and PLO have
their way, may live in the midst of a sea of Palestinian terrorists and
"former terrorists".
It is these women whom the Israeli government most fears. It seeks to
intimidate and suppress their voices, for it is precisely these women who
are effectively alerting the public to the perceived Israeli government's
ongoing deceit and distortions. And it is this conspiracy to suppress
democratic rights which I fear more than anything else.
Can we who live in America, where we have these basic human and
democratic rights, stand idly by, while these rights are stripped from our
counterparts in Israel?
The United States of America is, hopefully, leading the Middle East into a
new era of peace. Yet, how ironic it would be if Israel, for decades the
only democratic country in the region, is allowed to suppress the basic
democratic rights and civil liberties of its citizens.
* * *
Today, I watched two videos. One was the video I mentioned above.
The second shows the brave and fearless Jerusalem police officer, XXXXXX
XXXX, plowing into a group of 30 women ("Women in Green") standing
on a sidewalk in Jerusalem to arrest a young mother (Nadia Matar) whose
crime is that she is reading a list of the terror victims since the Oslo
accords. He and other officers then brutally beat and kick Nadia and the
other women there. It is all on videotape. It looks far worse than the
Rodney King tape. I could not stop shaking for 10 minutes after watching
the tape.
Do you know how we have that videotape? It is a TV station tape. The
TV stations have videoed scores of instances of police violence against
totally peaceful demonstrators. But the TV stations are all government
controlled and there is no legal way in Israel of forcing them to release
the evidence.
The only reason we have this particular videotape, is because in this
instance, we were fortunate in that the Police filed a suit against the
women involved, charging them with attacking the police (the best defense
is an offense), introduced this tape as evidence (incredible chutzpah and
stupidity) and the judge ruled that the videotape had to be released to the
defense as well. Part of the tape was deleted - mysteriously. But enough
remains to show incontrovertible proof of what happened.
* * *
Can you guess what happened to XXXXXX XXXX? He was promoted for his
bravery [....]
And do you know where XXXXXX XXXX was on Wednesday night, August 2nd?
He was the officer that I described above, beating the little boy and then
beating me.
* * *
I ask you to do three things. Publicize, publicize and publicize. Tell
everyone you know what you have just read. Publicity of human rights
abuses is one of the only defenses against them. The Israeli government
is especially sensitive to international publicity.
[Hillel's second item deleted per restriction against "call for
political action".] If you have any other ideas, please e-mail
them to me. These abuses will merely continue and intensify if we fail to
acknowledge them.
Sincerely yours,
Hillel Novetsky (Wexner Class III)
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|
| RE Note 1470.1 Peaceful protestors beaten in Jerusalem 1 of 1
> -< Email from Hillel Novetsky >-
Before I write on this subject, be advised that I am not a "left winger", have
never been a communist and have severe doubts about my current government's
aproach to the peace process. Oh yes, and when I say "my" government, I mean
the Israeli government, one of the few truly democratically elected in the
world, and the only one in this area. I am not sitting in judgement from a
safe nest in New York or some other part of the world.
In Israel we also have a free press, a free and fair judiciary and a police
force which has the same faults and good points as most forces in other
democracies such as the UK and USA. We also have one of, if not the largest,
overseas press corps in the world. It is extremely difficult to keep anything
secret or quiet in this little oasis of democracy.
So, either the writer (Hillel Novetsky) of this entry is using this as a forum
for his own political campaign, or he has uncovered abuses (seemingly missed by
CNN and BBC) which should be pursued through the local judiciary and the
miscreants brought to justice.
What I object to mostly is that Mr Novetsky sees fit to publish his complaints
overseas and make scurrilous statements about all and sundry instead of using
the many bodies (both official and private)in Israel which are very happy to
examine all and any complaints of infringements of personal rights and
liberties. I wonder if he was ready to complain about similar incidents which
took place against the left wing protesters?
>This was only one of numerous traumatic incidents that night. Everyone
>in attendance described shocking stories of personally witnessed police
>brutality, the likes of which I would have imagined transpired only in the
>former Soviet Union and other police states.
Mr Novetsky really has a fertile imagination!! Either that, or he is just one
of the world's many naive inhabitants who have no idea of the happenings in the
many police states around the world. He totally discredits his complaints when
he makes ludicrous statements like this.
>Can we who live in America, where we have these basic human and
>democratic rights, stand idly by, while these rights are stripped from our
>counterparts in Israel?
Ah, now I understand. The gentleman was just visiting! Well, as a citizen of
Israel, I can assure everyone that I am in no fear of having my democratic
rights stripped. I do however accept that if I scream and abuse and threaten
police officers during a demonstration it is just possible that one of these
ordinary human beings may just lose patience and arrest or even clout me! I do
not accept any abuse of authority, but know that I could expect the same in
London or Washington, and probably worse in most locations around the world.
I would appreciate sight of this videotape so that I can make up my own mind as
to its contents, but no doubt all copies have been spirited away to the USA. By
the way, there is the same legal process as in any other democracy to get TV
stations and other parties to release videos or other material.
Shalom
Baruch
|