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ABANDONMENT page 67

for says, the Haredim kept
mainly to Meah Shearim, Geu-
la and a couple of other neigh-
borhoods.
Today, the story is different.
"I feel self-conscious walking
around the city in tights, because
I notice all the Haredim turning
their eyes away from me," Ms.
Gutman said. "I feel their dis-
approval, and it just creates a
heavy atmosphere."
Secularists' fear of a Haredi
political takeover in Jerusalem
became acute after the munici-
pal election of 1993. Then,
Haredim voted en masse for the
victorious Mr. Olmert. In the
process, many critics say they
became "the power behind the
throne" in Mr. Olmert's coalition.
TV coverage of huge Haredi
demonstrations against Shab-
bat transportation, archaeolog-
ical digs and any number of
other secular activities also has
had an alarming effect. "You see
this sea of black, and garbage
cans being set on fire, and you
say to yourself, 'This is like what

happened in Iran,' " says Ms.
Cantor.
Most recently, the weekly tele-C.
vised scenes of Haredi demon-
strations to close Bar-Han Street
to Shabbat traffic — which in-
cluded scenes of Haredim fight-
ing police and chanting "Nazis!"
at them — was, for secular
Jerusalemites, a declaration by
the Haredim that they are on the
march. "It was a symbol of what
the city is going to become," says
Ms. Gutman.
Finally, besides social and po-
litical objections to the Haredim,
secular Jerusalemites argue that
as the proportion of Haredim
grows, now about 22 percent, city
services will deteriorate. They ar-
gue that most Haredim don't
work or pay taxes, but live off
government welfare and private
charity.
As Ms. Cantor said, referring
to one of the country's over-
whelmingly Haredi cities, which
also is notorious for its poverty
and shoddy condition, "I don't
want to live in Bnei Brak."

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I

sraeli Embassies: State's Im- that the Oslo agreements have
age Deteriorating Due to the effected a sea of change in the
Political Stalemate" went the behavior of the two peoples to-
lead headline in a recent edi- ward each other.
tion of the newspaper Ha'aretz.
Most Israelis and Palestini-
With progress stalled on the ans know better. Last month, for
Hebron talks and ministers be- example, the Israeli human-
ing quoted on plans to expand rights organization BTselem de-
West Bank and Gaza Strip set- tailed complaints by 11
tlements, the article explained, Palestinians of beatings and oth-
the nation's diplomats were er harassment by border police-
flooded with signals that confi- men. It went practically
dence in Israel's "good faith" re- unnoticed. To an embarrassing
garding the peace process was degree, Israelis have become in-
swiftly waning in the West. But ured (if not reconciled) to the
worse, the story implied, was a phenomenon as "the way things
wave of reports on
Israeli human-
rights violations in
the territories, es-
pecially the video
footage of two Is-
raeli border police-
men beating six
detained Palestin-
ian laborers who
had defied the clo-
sure and illegally
crossed into Israel
to work.
The clips, which An Israel border police officer, center, caught beating
showed two border Palestinians, sits on a court bench next to his lawyer, right,
policemen kicking while his father offers consolation.
and beating the
Palestinians at will, caused an are" — until, of course, they
uproar here. But such behavior have their noses rubbed in it.
has been no secret since the ear-
So when the tape of the recent
ly days of the intifada.
beatings aired during prime
The "news value" was limited time last week, practically
to people who want to believe everyone felt obliged to express