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Police blockade of Haredim in Jerusalem (AP)
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| By Israel Insider staff and partners November 8, 2006 |
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The police Wednesday declared a high state of alert across Israel following the grave incident which took place in Gaza Wednesday morning. This is being added to the already unprecedented measures being taken in light of the Jerusalem gay pride parade, especially considering the recent stoning of the city's mayor.
On Wednesday afternoon, Police Chief Moshe Karadi instructed the police districts, the Border Guard and the traffic police to boost their routine security operations.
The defense establishment currently holds 15 concrete warnings on terror organizations' plans to carry out attacks in Israel. The warnings originate in Samaria and the Gaza Strip and relate to suicide bombings, fire incidents, high-trajectory fire and kidnappings.
In light of the police chief's instruction, the forces are expected to boost their activities in the entrances to Israel's largest cities, in crowded places, in bus stops and in city centers.
The police will also boost their forces in the Seam Line area with exposed and concealed roadblocks and patrols.
Even before the Gaza incidents, Karadi decided to raise the police alert level to a state of emergency across Israel ahead of Friday's pride parade. Police are dealing with information on plans of ultra-Orthodox elements and right-wing activists to harm the parade.
Some 10,000 police and Border Guard officers have been allocated in order to deal with the threats.
Pride Parade violence continues
Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski was pelted with stones Tuesday evening during his visit to the ultra-Orthodox Me'a Shearim neighborhood in the city.
Haredim hurled rocks at a function hall in Mea Shearim while Lupolianski and his deputy were inside in protest of the plans to hold the Gay Pride Parade in the city on Friday.
Police forces arrived and rescued the two from the building. Nobody was injured.
Despite the fact that Lupolianski has called out against holding the parade in the city, many in the haredi community hold him directly responsible..
It should be noted that Rabbi Elyashiv has called in recent days to intensify the anti-parade protest.
Gaydamak to resolve dispute?
The dramatic event occurred on what was a relatively calm evening in the capital, with only a few disturbances reported in ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods. Police did however detain seven haredim.
Meanwhile, business mogul Arcadi Gaydamak met with representatives of the Open House organization in an effort to convince them to relocate the Gay Pride Parade from Jerusalem and hold it in a different location.
Gaydamak also met with haredi Knesset members to discuss the possibility that he would fund the parade if it were to be held outside the capital.
Ynet staff writers Efrat Weiss and Neta Sela contributed to this report.
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