Saved by MK Danny Danon!

Falling Photographer Saved by MK Danon (photo credit: Yaakov Lederman)
As if there was not enough drama in the re-called contentious Beit Shemesh municipal elections!

During a campaign rally last night for the Zionist Camp mayoral candidate Eli Cohen, photographer Michael Krispal took a step too far backwards, and fell off the stage.

Israel's Deputy Defence Minister, MK Danny Danon instantly responded by grabbing the photographer's flaying leg, returning him to the stage and so saving Krispal from a very hard landing.

Celebrating the recent court decision to re-run the elections in Beit Shemesh, under the title "We Believed, We Struggled, We Succeeded!", the rally was attended by hundreds of people, including MK's and other dignitaries.

Aside from Danon, Minister of Economy & Trade and leader of the Jewish Home faction Naftalli Bennett and Minister of Housing Uri Ariel also spoke in support of Eli Cohen at the gathering.

This followed a major gathering of the Shas Party in Beit Shemesh, on Saturday night, supporting incumbent mayor Moshe Abutbul. Big guns who attended that event included Shas leader MK Aryeh Deri.

During the past municipal elections in October, Shas lost their incumbent mayor in Elad, and they also lost the strategic mayor's race in Jerusalem, where Shas backed the unsuccessful challenger Moshe Lion - leaving just Beit Shemesh as a remaining Shas stronghold.

With the court decision to re-run the Beit Shemesh elections on 11th March, due to "widespread organized election fraud", Shas is under pressure to retain the city.

So, with Beit Shemesh the only city (along with Nazareth) to be holding recalled elections, national politicians are making themselves available to weigh in on the local campaigns.

To "save the city" and to save the occasional falling cameraman!



Comments

  1. Great photo!
    But what "sitting mayor" did they lose in Jerusalem?
    Where did you mean?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for the feedback, Shaul. I've changed the description of the Jerusalem contest. Better now?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Interesting, I am still waiting for David to condemn Eli Cohen for going to R. Drukman for Rabbnic endorsement since R. Drukman said you need to listen to the Rabbis and vote Eli Cohen. David-You condmened th hareidim for such past behavior. All of a sudden change of heart?
    Also, I thought no name calling. JPOST said the theme spoken about at the Rally by the speakers was we need to stop the extremism of the last city hall. Why not focus on what you will do rather then what you are trying to stop? Unless Eli Cohen is allowed mudslinging because he is zionist and Abutbol is haredi so thats a no no in the "geneva rules of campaigning." Hareidm shalt not and Zionists shall.............

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good evening Anonymous.
      I have no problem with rabbinical endorsements. Which are just that - a rabbi is entitled to say who he thinks would make a good political leader; just as other distinguished and less distinguished people are.
      This is entirely legal and indeed, an established part of the political system. The DL rabbis letter supporting Eli Cohen, as the guy they reckoned was most qualified for the job of mayor, was exactly this.
      However, I am against people (rabbis or others) distributing commands to their followers, claiming that G-d commands people to vote for this or the candidate, encouraging the loyal to "use all possible means" and cursing or threatening those that chas veshalom do otherwise.
      The chareidi rabbis pashkeville in support of Moshe Abutbul in October was an example of that. Such practices are illegal in Israel, although widely encouraged in Iran.
      In Beit Shemesh, this incitement to "do everything possible" to promote Abutbul, was taken literally by hundreds of residents, who committed fraud (and other loathsome tactics).
      I'm sure you understand the difference, right?

      Delete
  4. Dear Anonymous,
    Quite wasting your time... David showed his true colors with his knee jerk reaction a while back when he posted the complete motzei sheim ra article that Mayor Abutbol was going to be arrested for being part of the election wrong doings.
    David, did you ever go to the Mayor and beg mechila?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Welcome back, Jack!

      The article you are referring to was about a report (quoted) on rotter.net that Moshe Abutbul was about to be arrested/questioned. The article I wrote was explicit that the rumour was just that, and named the rumour's source.
      Later, rotter.net downgraded their source (although they kept the article on-line), at which point I took my article down. Furthermore, I asked The Jewish Press to take down the article on their site, which they immediately did.
      At the time the article was written, it was true (the existence of the rumour); when it became probably not true, I pulled it.

      Delete
    2. David,

      You have got to be kidding. You are justifying publishing unsubstantiated rumors that have the potential to destroy people's reputations.

      Are you serious?

      Delete
    3. Hi Jack - with all respect, perhaps you need to change the prescription on your reading glass? I published Substantiated rumours and named the source (Rotter). when they became UNsubstantiated, I pulled the story.
      If you think there is anything untoward or unusual in this, then just open a newspaper, and read about, for example, "pending charges" (substantiated rumours) about numerous public figures. The Rabbi Pinto case, as a current example, has been in the headlines for weeks, even resulting in Arbiv resigning from the police force - prior to anyone being arrested or charged - "just unsubstantiated rumours", in your terms. But not in anybody else's.

      Delete
  5. "taken literally by hundreds of residents, who committed fraud (and other loathsome tactics). "
    Really, hundreds? I beleive the police arrested approx 9.
    Where do u get hundreds? Are you talking about the few incidences that took place where it probably was a handful of people? Where do u get off throwing the number of hundreds around?
    Such motzei shem ra.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous - yes, dear chap, hundreds. There were hundreds of ID's discovered, as part of an organized scheme to use them falsely for voting, and for which the ID owners accepted payment.
      Aside from the other loathsome tactics (thank you Shaul) there were indeed hundreds of people committing fraud, according to the civil court's judgement.
      Once again Anonymous- you are (deliberately, methinks) mixing the criminal (9 facing charges) vs civil (hundreds were "more likely than not" involved) process.
      Your minimizing and marginalising these acts of criminality will not improve our society, nor prevent such deplorable mafia operations in Beit Shemesh in the future.

      Delete
  6. Anon 11:07 - I think David is referring to the fraudsters inter alia, meaning the balance of the "hundreds" is filled up by "other loathsome tactics", such as physically attacking Eli Cohen and his supporters, ripping down Cohen posters (including those posted on private property), use of sickening Holocaust imagery and other vicious disinformation about a completely nonexistent War on Torah. When you count the individuals who actively participated in any of the above, I think you'll easily break into "hundreds" territory.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Interesting. The court said hundreds. Have the police completed their investigation? I believe not so how can the court be sure? Were the hundreds tried and found guily? Hmnn no again. Interesting how the hareidm are guilty until proven innocence in the state of israel.
    The idf officer who said let the hareidm die, is not fired. Could u imagine if a hareidi said that comment about a hiloni-he would be in jail. Please dont tell us what the court said because the court tried the hareidi world before any police report was finalized.
    As for the attcks and nazi imagery, maybe they were all the work of 10 people? Why hundreds? Again, judgement with an agenda.
    David, I used to think you were trying to be objective, i see now how totally subjective and agenda driven you are.
    Its a shame, because you often fight for the rights of the underdog which is good however when it comes to the hareidi underdog(in israeli society) that fight you actually do the opposite on.
    Now, Shaul mentions nonexistent war on torah. Lets examine that for a moment. has not Eli Cohen stated he will repeal arnona discounts for avreichim unless he finds alternative funding for it? Hmmn-definitely not anti hareidi, dont you think? Did he say he was going to close down the meyerhoff center because the city needs teh money-of course not because that would hurt the hilonim and dl.
    Eli Cohen belongs and heads the bayit yehudi part of bet shemesh. Bayit Yehudi has joined with Yesh Atid and teh likud to arrest haredim for learning torah. That hasnt happened since the days in the stetl in Russia. Why should we not think Eli Cohen and party will make sure the Bet shemesh haredim get rounded up first. Great way to do away with fanatics, no?
    Dont tell us nbayit yehudi opposes it. They are still in the govt no? In fact, bayit yehudi and some likud ministers said to netanyahu that they will not allow more land freezes. Interesting, no land freezes but yes we will allow Jews to go to jail for learning torah.

    ReplyDelete

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