Monday 2 September 2013

Israel's Un-Justice System


The wheels of justice turn slowly, but grind - to a halt.



What a shocking state of affairs. 


A family with 6 children from Bnei Braq (lets call them the Golds) ran into financial difficulties, and decided to move out of the home they owned and rent it out, whilst they moved into far cheaper rental accommodation near Modi'in Illit. This was not an easy decision for the Golds to make, nor an easy step to take, but circumstances were such, that they were forced into making the move.

Their tenants, 
(lets call them the Smiths), a family with eight children, also ran into in financial difficulties and fell 3 months behind in their rent. As the Smiths weren't paying any rent to the Golds, the Golds were unable to pay any rent to their landlord. Being fine upstanding people, they contacted their landlord and explained their situation to him, and negotiated to relinquish their lease and to vacate the flat immediately.

They got back to Bnei Braq, and went to their flat to tell the Smiths that as they hadn't paid any rent for 3 months, they - the Golds - had been unable to pay their rent and ישג returned the flat to the landlord, and would the Smiths do the same, i.e., move out.

The Smiths viewed the events in a different light, not having paid any rent does not alter the fact that they are tenants. You can't just march into your tenant's flat and ask them to leave. That is harassment! In response to which, the Smiths called the police.

(As an aside, I was under the impression that Bnei Braq "charedim" considered going to the police as Mesirah.)

When the police arrived, they informed the Golds that the Smiths were right, and you cannot get them out of the flat without obtaining a court order.

I don't know about Israel, but in the UK it takes a good 6 months, at least, and is not a free service. 

But - Now here's the good bit - the Israeli courts are in RECESS, the entire country's judiciary has shut down, the courts are in recess and there is nothing to be done until after Yom Tov!

The Golds have been forced to put up a makeshift tent in the grounds of their building, where they have to live, eat and sleep, all 8 of them, in the heat of Bnei Braq, with no running water, no kitchen, no hygiene facilities. Whilst his scrounging tenants are sleeping in his beds, sitting comfortably on his couch, keeping their food fresh in his fridge, cooking in his oven and keeping cool using his air conditioning.

I'm sure that the tenant, who must be a big Yorei Shamayim, is only doing this, Leshem Shamayim, I mean, what kind of a Yomtov would he be giving his wife and children if he moved out now???



וצדקינו במשפט

http://www.bhol.co.il/article.aspx?id=58755&cat=1&scat=1