In a show of protest on Shabbos night, Parshas Yisro, dozens of residents from Beit Vegan and other Jerusalem neighborhoods walked to Kiryat Yovel to patrol the eruv, following instructions by rabbonim. For the first time the eruv saboteurs were caught red-handed.
The vandals were arrested by police. Surprisingly, police also forced eruv activists Rav Dovid Eisenstein and Rav Yaakov Yitzchok Rauchman into a police van and drove them to the station on Shabbos night for questioning, despite repeated requests on their part to walk there without violating Shabbos.
For the past six months, every Shabbos a handful of anti-religious activists have been surreptitiously destroying the neighborhood eruv in Kiryat Hayovel, which was set up there, as in many other neighborhoods, as a more reliable supplement to the general eruv surrounding all of Jerusalem.
Despite dialogue with secular figures and efforts by UTJ representatives at City Hall and in the Knesset for many months, the vandalism has not abated. Repeatedly claiming that they do not know who has been responsible for destroying the eruv, the very same secularist representatives seemingly working in cooperation to achieve mutual agreements to foster peace and understanding proved to be the saboteurs! Among the perpetrators was a professor of chemistry at the Hebrew University, who joined other intellectuals who typically clamor about the order of law and the importance of peace.
The rabbonim for the general eruv and various eruv committees in the city said that full civil or criminal charges should be brought against the perpetrators, who have been destroying property and causing collective stumbling blocks despite widespread support for the construction of eruvin in Jerusalem.
In a letter to Hebrew University President Prof. Menachem Magidor, MK Rabbi Uri Maklev wrote, "There is no need to point out the disgrace and dishonor of a respected professor acting like a common thug, heading out into the night with a metal rod and cutting the wire of the neighborhood eruv, motivated solely by an inexplicable drive to fan the flames of hatred and deliberately harm relations among the city's various population segments. The shameful conduct of Prof. Danny Mandler certainly does not add to the distinction of the Hebrew University," wrote Rabbi Maklev, ending his letter by calling on the university to denounce the act publicly.
Rabbi Maklev also urged police to take strict measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. "After the police have done nothing in this matter so far while others have done their work for them, uncovering the people responsible for this grave act, the police must act quickly and make concerted efforts to halt this destructive conduct."
