Mass of mass funerals: Brigadier General Ofer Shomer, commander of the Zion Area of the police, spoke this morning (Monday) with Golan Yokfaz and Anat Davidov on their program on 103FM about the conduct of the police at the huge funeral held last night in Jerusalem and explained: “Any demonstration can be dispersed, Other tools. We prevented a larger gathering, we distributed fines and we prevented a rift among the people, this is not New Zealand. “
Lt. Gen. Ofer Shomer, commander of the Zion area at the police station, accompanied by Rabbi Soloveitchik. Photo: Police spokeswoman
Why did you not prevent the funerals yesterday?
“To say we did not prevent is a mistake, it is not that we did not prevent, we prevented larger funerals. We conducted operationally and prevented bloodshed. The police have no problem, the police can disperse any demonstration and any event the question of what the price is.”
How would it have come to bloodshed?
“It would have come to bloodshed for a simple reason, I saw masses, hundreds and maybe about a thousand children, I saw the conditions of the area, I mean the police, the police did a situation assessment, there is a district commander and a commissioner. One can disperse anything the question is what the price is, at the cost of bloodshed I prefer to utilize other tools to disperse, Part is both dialogue and operational preparation. For example, we had intelligence information coming from all over the country, so for example, the police set up checkpoints yesterday. “
You saw hundreds of children in the field, when you arrived the funeral had already begun.
“The funeral was at a man’s house in the neighborhood. There is something the public does not understand – the ultra-Orthodox live in Jerusalem. There are 300,000 people there, the body was in his house in a small yeshiva, they live there. It is enough that 30,000 people go down and Jerusalem stands. It can not prevent people from living in the places where they live. “
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But if you had come before the people went out before the funeral, it would have looked different.
“The police are able to do everything, they can move police from place to place, operate in several places at once, there are special units, we have no problem operating but in the end there is discretion. The police in the last two weeks, we are in the Jerusalem district, there was no meeting. Demonstrations because we did not allow them to study even in the most difficult yeshivas and places in Mea Shearim. “
Yesterday was an exception?
“Absolutely, I wish it did not happen. In terms of public responsibility I am not their teacher, we prevented a larger gathering, we made a dialogue, we prevented their rubbing with the general public, they went on a regulated route that we agreed with in advance, we prevented a rift in the people, if we entered by force and God forbid There was a catastrophe. “
Was there a public that gives its life to hold the funeral?
“Unequivocally. We are the secular world. If they come to me, my son enlisted a year and a half ago and he is in an elite unit. That we would go out to demonstrate. “
But devotion?
“We have our values that we would give our lives for, I am sure. For the people of Israel, I am ready to give my life.”
Surrender during a funeral procession when we are in a mad war is the same thing?
“They are able to give their lives on these issues. We police have the operational experience and we see how far we can fight. And when we understand that it will lead to bloodshed, we avoid this section because we do not want a civil war, we do not want the dead and we do not want the rift in the people. “
Most people look and do not understand where you are?
“We have been there, where possible we have prevented, where possible we have blocked, we have exercised our discretion and we have the experience and the understanding and the strategic ability to see a step forward. We therefore refrained from using force. The use of force needed to prevent the funeral would have resulted in extremely severe casualties“.
We remember when you dispersed with a heavy hand immigrants from Ethiopia who demonstrated, Israeli Arabs in a triangle, settlers from Amona.
“Yesterday it was not a demonstration, it was an illegal funeral procession. There was no violent riot, there was a violation of the law and there are tools to use it. “These are examples of violent disturbances that the police have forcibly responded to.”
What kind of conversation was that?
“This is the ultra-Orthodox community that consists of Satmar, Toldot Aharon, Toldot Avraham and Yitzchak, Breslavs, etc. They have their representatives, we talked to senior representatives, we explained to them, we told them what is going to happen and what is allowed and what is forbidden. This is a population that differs from the State of Israel.”
Was the incoming commissioner involved in determining the lines of funeral care?
“We have received full backing from the Minister and the Commissioner for Discretion.”
A senior police official said ‘We are alone in the campaign. Do not expect us to do the black work and bring bloodshed. ‘ What does he mean?
“I do not want to interpret the senior figure, that he will come and interpret what he said. I do want to take the opportunity to call for unity to uphold health rules, to keep everything related to regulations in this difficult time and it’s time for some of the public I see saying very difficult things, I think this method will not help.This is the time when we all need to show unity, support the police and regulations until we get through the difficult time. And New Zealand will not be here, Israel is Israel and it has its problems“.