Ma'ayanei HaYeshua workers attacked on Saturday: "a criminal act"

On Friday night, a taxi was attacked in Bnei Brak, on its way from Ma'ayanei Hayeshua hospital. The taxi drove sisters and midwifes, who were not injured. In another incident in the city, fringe youths attacked medical staff at a clinic.

Sima, chief nurse and midwife at the Ma'ayanei Hayeshua hospital, one of the passengers in the taxi on Shabbos night described in a Facebook post what had happened to her: "After an evening shift we were attacked by 'haredim' next to the fire department in Bnei Brak (Hashomer St.). About 25 youths smashed, broke the car window."

The nurses were justifiably panicked, "They almost beat the nurses, who all they wanted was to get home safely after an evening shift." Sima was horrified, and rightly so, "Nobody thought we'd be in the middle of a "lynch" by haredi Jews who call themselves haredi. I was ashamed!"

Sima added further, "In order to deliver Rebbes and sons of Rebbes, the midwifery staff is excellent. To take care of Bnei Brak, the staff is excellent. It this gratitude? This is the appreciation? All the nursing staff wanted was to get home safely. It was scary, it could have ended with murder and shfichus damim".

But even she knows that this is not a standard or classic case. "Is this the face of Haredi society?" Sima asks and replies, "I'm sure not."

The case extremely frightened the hospital and nursing staff, who stated that they "are unwilling to go by shuttles, until there is a police escort inside Bnei Brak."

In another incident that occurred not far away, some marginal youth came into a clinic twice on Shabbos, attacked the medical staff and patients. Police was called to the scene and arrested two young men, a juvenile and an adult, who were taken to the Dan Region police for investigation. They will be presented tomorrow to the Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court, where the police will require the extension of their detention.

Rabbi Menashe Zelikha, Rabbi of Pardes Katz, expressed shock at the incident and condemned it. In a conversation with Behadrey Haredim he said: "I am appalled by what they had done, while desecrating Shabbos they came to disrupt procedures at Ma'ayanei Hayeshua Hospital."

The Rabbi also referred to the possibility that the taxi driver was an Arab, and that's what bothered the boys: "It is not the way of the Torah to protest without consulting the Gedolei Yisroel. Those who want to protest should come and consult with a rabbi what is the Torah's outlook, certainly one should not behave barbarically while desecrating Shabbos. It deserves to be condemned. This is a barbaric and stupid act, of kids who are bored."

The Rabbi said that the hospital staff shuttles are conducted according to the Halacha, even if it is a Jewish driver. "On Shabbos they prefer to use a non-Jewish driver if there is no particular priority to a Jew. All ambulances of Ezer Mitzion etc. employ Druze drivers to prevent Chilul Shabbos."

Michael Pinhassi, operations manager of Ma'ayanei Hayeshua Hospital, also addressed the case and condemned it vehemently: "It is inconceivable that the hospital which serves the residents of the city, will have to defend the staff coming and going from the hospital on Shabbos against fringe youths."

According to him, every Friday night as on every night, transportation vehicles scatter hospital staff to their homes in the city and beyond it. "This is not the first time fringe youths attack the drivers and hospital staff." As a result, the hospital CEO previously contacted Former Mayor Yaakov Asher, who attached to the shuttle a municipal inspection van.

Tomorrow (Sunday), CEO of the hospital Rabbi Gershon Lieder, is expected to raise the issue with Mayor Rabbi Hanoch Seibert, in order to act in any way possible to resolve the matter quickly. In addition, hospital staff who were attacked were instructed to file a complaint with the Dan Region police about the attack on Friday night.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!