Thousands have flocked to the impromptu yeshiva set up
outside of a wall of Ramle's Ma'asiyahu Prison, where former
Shas leader Arye Deri has been held since last Sunday.
Visitors, mostly traditional supporters of Shas, arrive
around the clock. Selichos are said every night at
midnight in keeping with the tradition of the Eidot
Hamizrach. Supporters have vowed to stay outside the
prison until their leader is released.
The yeshiva, called Sha'agas Arye, consists of three large
tents, a number of tables and portable sanitation facilities.
The site is about 300 meters from the closest residential
neighborhood, but visitors to the site have disturbed the
residents, mostly during the evening hours when cars block
the traffic junctions and private parking areas. Noise is
also a problem because of the loudspeakers used by the
protesters. On Monday a bris was held there, and some
400 were said to be in attendance.
Spirit is high and many provisions are provided by inspired
private individuals. Some of the basic infrastructure has
been provided from Shas party funds, but Shas leader Eli
Yishai says that the party's budget cannot sustain the effort
for very long.
Ramle Mayor Yoel Lavi yesterday asked the Shas leadership to
move their protest tents to a building inside the town's
industrial area. The site under consideration is a legal
building which is available for immediate occupancy.
Students will study "only Torah, no politics," said Yehuda
Azrad, one of the organizers. Thousands of people have
gathered every night to learn and to hear shiurim, he
said, adding that several hundred planned to camp out there
over Shabbos.
The Prisons Service has complained to the city about the
noise and mess generated by the encampment. Since the
encampment is on municipal property, Mayor Joel Lavi must
decide whether to remove it. No comment from his office was
available.
Shas MKs condemned Prisons Service officials' decision to
limit the MKs' visits to Deri, saying that the MK Immunity
Law, which defines their freedom of movement, restricts that
freedom only where matters of state security or military
secrets are concerned. In the past, MKs were allowed to visit
a prison whenever they wanted to. Shas MKs called on Prisons
Service to revoke the new guidelines and threatened legal
action if they did not.
