Debbie Schlussel: Jerusalem . . . Detroit: The Attacks on Jews Continue Their Escalation
Yesterday, it was Jerusalem. Today, it's the area where I live. The escalation of anti-Semitism and violent attacks on Jews continues because our President and Israel's Prime Minister continue to capitulate to the chief fomenters of it.
The interesting thing--but not surprising at all--is that when the attacks are on Orthodox Jewish men with beards, hats, and yarmulkes, it's "not a hate crime," but when a Muslim gets a paper cut, it is:
For the second time in the past several months, there have been a string of assaults on members of the Orthodox Jewish community in southern Oakland County, prompting residents to once again meet with city officials to formulate a plan to stop the attacks.Residents organized a meeting at a private residence in Oak Park on Thursday to discuss the situation with law enforcement and city officials from Southfield and Oak Park.
Residents met with city officials after attacks last summer, as well.Three people were assaulted in Southfield, near Oak Park, last Friday and Saturday. These incidents mirrored assaults on three Orthodox men in Oak Park last summer, including one in which a man reported being pushed down, kicked and punched in the eye. . . .
In each case -- including the attacks during the summer and an incident in Oak Park in early February -- people were assaulted as they walked in neighborhoods or parks during the Jewish Sabbath, on Fridays and Saturdays. Traditional Jewish law forbids driving on the Sabbath, which is why Orthodox residents walk to and from synagogue.
There were only minor injuries suffered in the most recent assaults, which all happened in neighborhoods near 10 Mile and Greenfield.
Police said they believe teens committed the assaults, but no one has been arrested in either community. The incidents have prompted police in both cities to increase patrols in neighborhoods with heavy Orthodox populations.
Southfield Police Chief Joseph Thomas said there's no indication that the assaults last week were hate crimes.
Thomas was also, reportedly, at a party at Detroit's Mayoral Manoogian Mansion, at which an assault against a stripper, Strawberry, reportedly occured (which led to her murder in a driveby shooting). And he now claims, he wasn't there.
So, I guess we can say he's, at least, universally "blind."
Posted by Debbie on March 7, 2008 02:58 PM to Debbie Schlussel