While the police and the General Prosecutor are ignoring the
complaints about the wave of lethal incitement aimed at the
chareidi community, Rabbi Chaim Miller of UTJ, deputy mayor
of Jerusalem, was interrogated in the Jerusalem Police
Department this past Friday, for having said that some of the
Russian immigrants are not Jewish and have brought the pork
industry to Israel.
In an interview two months ago, Rabbi Miller spoke about the
problem of the hundreds of thousands of non-Jews who have
penetrated Israel, coming along with the Jewish immigrants
from the former Soviet Union. His remarks were made in light
of statements issued a number of years ago by the former
Absorption Minister, Rabbi Yitzchok Peretz, who claimed that
a high percentage of the immigrants from these countries are
not Jews, yet are included in the aliya according to the Law
of Return.
The general press also released similar statistics, and the
Interior Ministry disclosed information regarding forged
birth certificates used by immigrants, granting them
eligibility for financial support from the Absorption
Ministry. In that interview, Rabbi Miller also referred to
the disgraceful pork business, which has become widespread as
a result of the waves of immigration.
His remarks, however, were taken out of context, and
"interpreted" by anti-religious factors as incitement against
the immigrants. Although Miller explained his remarks, he was
summoned by the police for investigation, on the basis of
complaints filed by Meretz. The Police hastened to turn over
its findings to the Prosecutor General.
This fact is particularly disturbing in light of the waves of
the current, unprecedented incitement against the chareidi
community, and the fact that the Police and the Prosecutor
General are doing nothing to curb it. Rabbi Miller himself
has filed a number of complaints with the Police and the
Prosecutor, and even appealed to the High Court against anti-
chareidi incitement. No action was taken on his appeals.
Chareidi activists claim that Rabbi Miller's investigation
and the transferring of these findings to the General
Prosecutor point to an antagonistic, prejudiced attitude.
