              Democratic Intimidation of Protesters
                     by Gary M. Cooperberg
                       November 23, 1993
                                
     The infamous handshake between Rabin and Arafat signaled a marked increase in our
ever speeding descent into the abyss of confusion.  No remark made by our Prime Minister is
founded in either sense or consistency.  No matter how much one might want peace, no
rational thinker would expect to find it as a result of freeing terrorists, giving them arms, and
calling them "policemen". Insanity is too kind a word for such thinking.  Inanity might be
better.
     In recent days we have seen our prime minister embark upon a negative public
relations effort to separate Jews living in Judea Samaria and Gaza from those living in the
"homeland".  Rather than recognizing these loyal and patriotic citizens as performing a vital
duty in defense of the nation, they are labeled as haters of peace and law breakers.
     If this wasn't enough, a new effort has been launched by the government to terrorize
protesters into complacency.  The media has saturated the airwaves with reports that the
highest law enforcement officials issued orders to prosecute Jewish protesters who violate the
law to the fullest extent possible.  Thus one who spits on the sidewalk, or demonstrates
without a permit, or disrupts traffic in protest to murders will be arrested, tried, and fined and
imprisoned.  While this cannot stop legal protests, it may well discourage people who cannot
afford to pay heavy fines from taking the chance of being arrested.
     I know, from experience, that it is a relatively easy matter for a disgruntled soldier or
policeman to make an arrest.  Even if the charge is unfounded, the waste of time and money
involved in defending oneself, aside from the fact that you might get convicted anyway, does
have a strong affect upon whether or not one will continue to execute his democratic right to
protest, even within the confines of the law.
     At the Cave of Machpelah, where the years of intimidation I endured seemed to finally
have come to an end, once again I have been summoned to court to defend myself against the
charge of "interfering with Arab prayer".  This alleged event occurred nine months ago and is
an outright lie.
     Soldiers, who are more concerned about Arab rights than even the Arabs are, tried to
prevent legitimate Jewish prayer from taking place in the Hall of Isaac owing to the fact that it
was an Arab holy day.  The fact that Arab prayer had long finished and that the Arab caretaker
actually invited us to come inside in no way impressed this soldier.
     Although I interfered with no one; broke no law; did not engage in arguments, rather
merely prayed in the same place I pray every morning, after having been engaged in such
prayer for about a half-hour, two Jewish soldiers disrupted my prayer and physically
"escorted" me out of that hall.  When my prayers were completed and I went to leave, I was
detained until the police were summoned.  After explaining what had happened to the police. 
They informed me that this was only a warning and that I should not do it again.  I insisted
that I had done nothing wrong, and went home.  A few days later I was called into the police
station, fingerprinted, re-questioned on the matter and then released.  Two weeks ago I
received a summons to appear in court to defend myself against the charge of interfering with
Arab prayer.
     The fact is I did not interfere with Arab prayer.  Yet I must defend myself against this
charge.  That means time lost from work, attorney fees, and psychological intimidation.  On
top of all this there is no guarantee that I will be found innocent.  Of course I could plea guilty,
pay a fine which might be less than my attorney's fee, and establish a reputation as a law
breaker which will make the next unfounded charge against me seem even more believable. 
Not much of a choice.  
     Take my situation and multiply it by thousands and you get an idea of how this
government can "legally" stifle legitimate protest.
     I am not even a protester.  I merely have been going to pray at Machpelah every
morning for over twelve years.  When soldiers who are confused about what is going on
decide to strike out at "the reason why they must serve in Hebron", it is relatively easy to use
Jewish worshipers as targets for their frustration.
     I needn't explain how the policies of the present government of Israel are designed to
isolate Jews living in the Jewish heartland.  The greatest danger we face today as a nation is
the polarization of Jew against Jew.  The challenge which must come as our first priority is to
find a way to avoid such polarization as much as possible.  None the less, we must never
compromise on Jewish values, no matter how difficult things become.
     Regardless of the outcome of my trial, I will continue to pray at Machpelah every
morning.  No amount of intimidation can move us out of that holy site ever again.