Minister Edery: Reconsider pride parade
Photo: Ofer Amram
Gal-On: complacency is dangerous
Photo: Gil Yohanan
Minister Edery: Reconsider pride parade
Minister for Jerusalem affairs suggests moving parade location. MK Gal-On: Police complacency regarding Haredi threats reminiscent of days prior to Rabin's murder
March or no march? Minister for Jerusalem Affairs Jacob Edery wrote a letter to Jerusalem Police Chief Ilan Franco, asking him to reconsider his authorization of the pride parade, or alternatively, consider moving it to a different city, in order to prevent violence and disorder in Jerusalem.
Jerusalem police have yet to give the march the final green light, but are expected to do so in a few days. A senior police officer told Ynet Tuesday that the pride parade would take place as planned.
"As of now, we don't have the ability to say that we won't authorize the parade. If we receive new information, the Jerusalem district chief will go to the High Court and tell them that we can't authorize the parade in its current framework and will only allow it to be held in a closed compound or another city," he clarified.
The protests against the pride parade have quickly turned violent. Haredim took to the streets, protesting and blocking major traffic routes.
Meanwhile, police are in a state of high alert, following Haredi leader Rabbi Tuvia Weiss' comment that he couldn't promise that Haredi protestors would refrain from violence.
'Complacency a horrible mistake'
MK Zahava Gal-On (Meretz) appealed to Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter, requesting that he address the issue of rabbis calling for 'total devotion' in order to prevent the pride parade in Jerusalem."The police's complacency regarding the crazy threats against the parade signifies fear and subjugation instead of decisiveness, and is reminiscent of the horrible mistake made prior to Rabin's murder," she said.
Wednesday, Jerusalem police detectives apprehended three extreme right-wing activists, including Itamar Ben-Gvir, while the latter were putting up anti-parade fliers in a Jerusalem neighborhood.
The three, whose vehicle contained hundreds of similar fliers, were detained for questioning, while the fliers were transferred to the legal department to determine whether they constitute incitement.
In response, Ben-Gvir declared that "the police are trying to shut our mouths, but we will continue to protest against this 'abomination parade'."
