A Historic Meeting - But Will it Change anything?

Toldos Avrohom Yitchak Rebbe and Jerusalem Mayor, Moshe Leon (VIN)

It’s a good sign. But as I indicated in another context, it is too little, too late. And may in the end be completely meaningless with respect to producing any positive results. From VIN:

 An unusual and historic meeting took place this week between Jerusalem mayor Moshe Leon and the Toldos Avrohom Yitzchak Rebbe, Rabbi Shmuel Yaakov Kohn…

 The main topic.. was the issue of the light rail, which has once again led to violent demonstrations at the Bar Ilan street site where work is now being completed…

 The rebbe said that… he is opposed to all acts of violence and destruction.

That is nice to hear. Although I’m disapointed that he simply expressed opposition to violence and destruction. He did not say that those protests should stop. Which can easily be taken as encouragement to continue. 

The Rebbe apparently listened approvingly to the Mayor’s description of the variety of benefits the light rail would bring to the Rebbe’s own neighborhood. He actually said he was happy to hear another opinion. But he did not say that he agrees with it, Which implies that he is still opposed. In other words he is opposed only to the violence and destruction. 

So I’m not sure that this meeting did anything to prevent further violence at these protests. His tepid reaction could easily be seen as ‘political’ by the protesters. And that he really didn’t mean it. 

It would have been nice had he not only said he was simply ‘opposed to violence and destruction’ but that he actually condemned it and those responsible for it. It would have been nice if he had encouraged the arrest and conviction of those individuals and supported any sentence they receive. 

However, being the skeptic that I am, my guess is that he has no plans to do any of that. He will probably do the opposite. If any of the protesters are arrested, he will probably do his best to get them released and not charged. And he will  probably succeed.  This has been the pattern in situations where extremist Charedim have been arrested. They get released via the intervention of Charedi politicians that surely have ‘Get out of jail free’ cards to distribute at their discretion. 

I therefore do not see anything changing here. When the light rail is finally competed and operational, will it be vandalized in the name of the ‘Torah True’ Judaism of Toldos Avrohom Yitzchak? Hope not. But I’m probably wrong.