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Sabbath Siege
Jerusalem's secular and observant Jews
battle over a small stretch of the street,
but many say it's just a start.
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erusalem's secular and re- dealing with it, he appointed a
ligious Jews have found a commission to study the matter.
new way to relax together It recommended that the street
on Shabbat. They riot be closed only during prayer
against one another, catching the times on Friday evenings, Sat-
police in the middle of their urdays, and holidays. Three
weeks ago, the new transport
wrath.
"The Battle of Bar-Ilan Street," minister, Yitzhak Levi of the
strictly forbidden during the reg- modern-Orthodox National Reli-
ular week, has been going on for gious Party, decided to adopt that
weeks. And it does not have any solution.
But, after an appeal to the
end in sight. But this is far
greater than your typical in- High Court of Justice, the court
ternecine Israeli battle. Bar-Ilan issued an injunction to keep the
Street has become the litmus test street open until it can rule. In
for broader issues, ranging from the meanwhile, the contesting
the protection of civil rights to the parties have taken to the streets.
So for three weeks running,
social, economic, and even polit-
ical future of the always volatile
city.
All this, and the accompany-
ing considerable rhetoric and vi-
olence, centers on about a half a
15
mile of road in northern
Jerusalem. Haredi (Orthodox)
residents, backed by the country's
three religious parties, want it
closed on the Shabbat and holi-
days.
Secular residents of the sur-
rounding neighborhoods, backed
— Elazar Strum
by the ardently secular Meretz
party and some members of La-
bor and the Third Way, want it
thousands of residents of the Bar-
kept open.
In reality, many streets in Ilan area have lined the thor-
Jerusalem's Haredi neighbor- oughfare shouting "Shabbos" at
hoods are closed to traffic on passing drivers. A few have
Shabbat. Mayor Ehud Olmert, thrown bottles and stones; some
whose religious partners on the have tried to block the street with
City Council outnumber those of everything from nails to garbage.
But the real objects of the hare-
his Likud Party, notes that his
venerated predecessor, Teddy di wrath are the policemen who
Kollek, closed some 130 of them. have orders to keep the road
But Bar-Ilan. Street is differ- open. They are being pelted with
ent. On the one hand, it cuts stones, bottles, and even dirty di-
through the heart of a large apers, not to mention a stream of
Haredi neighborhood. It is also angry epithets such as "Nazis!"
part of the main east-west artery and "Anti-semites!" This is par-
connecting Jersnalem's entrance ticularly true when they have
with Mt. Scopus (site of the He- used force (including water
brew University campus and a canons) to keep the Haredi
branch of Hadassah Hospital) crowds at bay.
Cold statistics suggest that nei-
and many Jewish neighborhoods
built in east Jerusalem since ther side has a compelling case
in the Bar-Ilan affair. Studies
1967.
There is an alternate route to have shown that the usual traf-
these neighborhoods, which takes fic rate of 15,000 vehicles per day
a few minutes longer. But secu- drops to some 3,400 on Shabbat
lar residents argue that in an and to a mere 740 during prayer
emergency extra minutes could hours. But for the warring camps,
be critical. Besides, that second this is less a matter of need than
route runs by a new haredi neigh- one of principle. The haredim
borhood and it's rumored that speak of their right to enjoy the
once Bar-Ilan Street is closed, the sanctity of Shabbat. The secular
next demand will be to block the dwells on its fear of "creeping co-
ercion."
alternate route.
"These Haredim know no lim-
The Bar-Ilan Street controvery
has been swirling around ever it," cried Meretz leader Yossi
since Mr. Olmert became mayor Sarid at a rally for "Free
three years ago. To postpone SIEGE page 126
161
"Within a decade,
maximum years,
there will be a
Haredi majority,
even absolute Haredi
rule, in Jerusalem."