Unjustified Police Interference at Knesset Tent City - By Moshe Burt
I got a late start for Knesset as I had hoped to be there earlier in the day but got bogged down with phone calls.
Arriving in Jerusalem from Ramat Beit Shemesh on the 417 autobus, I walked past Binyanei Homa (the Jerusalem International Convention Center) and walked along the road just past it and down toward the group of office buildings in front of the Knesset.
When I reached the intersection where the Supreme Court Building stands, I and a couple of groups of school-children were stopped and blocked by the police from proceeding further.
We were told that the road would be closed for 3 hours and that if we wanted to walk to the tent city next to Knesset, we would have to detour, thus having to walk roughly 1/2 km or more out of the way, or along the bus route in order to get there. The truth seems to be that the police, apparently acting on orders from either Prime Minister Sharon, or perhaps his son "Kojak" Omri, were interfering with and preventing people from arriving at the ongoing demonstration and sit-in by Knesset.
Not to be denied, I crossed back toward the Supreme Court Building, crossed the bridge in front of the Court building, although it was closed to the public. I walked to the side and in back of The Supreme Court building along paved paths until reaching the Rose Garden. I was bound and determined to let someone in authority in Yesha Council know that police were busting our chops and getting over on us with their interference and obstruction.
Sure enough, as I arrived in the tent city, Bentzi Leiberman was speaking to the crowd
of young people. After he finished speaking, I managed to speak with him regarding what had occurred. Bentzi told me that he'd take the matter up with the police and took off in that direction shortly after I spoke with him.
I have no knowledge as to whether or not this was an isolated case, or whether it has become a systematic case. But there does seem to be a strong case for assuming that the interference and obstruction is systemic. The larger the number of people at the tent city site 24/7, the more pressure members of the Likud rebels, Gimmel, Shas, Nationl Union, etc. are under to do the right thing and force a national referendum on proposed Gush Katif/Shomron expulsion of Jews. In fact, according to
Tuesday's report on Israel National News, a recent poll taken indicates Most Israelis Want either a referendum or new elections.
And so it seems evident the "father and son defense" have sufficient motive for us to strongly assume that the police were/are acting to deny the public an access to the entrance into the tent city.
The moral of this incident (or incidents) is that even the little things that we do help.
Israelis must stop being intimidated by the corrupt, evil and bankrupt morality of the government in power in Israel. |
