Hebrew University Professor Arrested for Malicious Vandalizing Jerusalem "Eruv" as anti-Judaism "protest"

To Right - the Tenured Vandal Danny Mandler
Seems like hardly a week goes by without some new anti-Israel or anti-Jewish outrage coming out of the Hebrew University. The latest is the arrest this week of a Hebrew University professor of chemistry for maliciously vandalizing the Jerusalem "eruv." Danny Mandler is an Argentina-born full professor of chemistry at the Hebrew University.

An "eruv" is a boundary constructed of stings or wires to define an area in which observant Jews may carry items on the sabbath. Usually the "eruv" runs along existing poles or trees. It is usually in public areas and does not impose any sort of inconvenience on others.

Nevertheless, in some cases anti-Semites have campaigned against the "eruv" as somehow violating the rights of non-Jews or "imposing" Judaism on the public. In Palo Alto, California, for example, anti-Semites recruited the ACLU to try to block placing an "eruv" in the trees along streets.

In Jerusalem, a group of radical anti-Orthodox bigots have been slicing the "eruv" in some places, illegally. The only motive of the vandals is to show their contempt for Orthodox Jews and for Judaism. After several acts of sabotage, the police staked off an area. They caught the good professor redhanded while sabotaging the "eruv" with a knife! The story is carried in Haaretz, Israel National News and elsewhere.

According to INN, "Rabbi Avraham Moshe Katzenelbogen, who is responsible for the eruv as a member of the Jerusalem Religious Council, recently took community center leaders on a tour of the eruv, showing them it was not in the way and did not pose an obstacle to anyone. A number of hours later, activists again tried to destroy it."

Mandler is not the first hater of Judaism at the Department of Chemistry of the Hebrew University. For many years the world's worst Neo-Nazi, Israel Shahak, was also employed as a professor of chemistry there. Shahak, who died in 2001, was best known for claims that Orthodox Jews secretly worship Satan, that Judaism is a form of Nazism, and claiming things like Orthodox Jews pull down the pants of traffic accident victims to check if they are circumcized before attending to them. He was so openly anti-Semitic that David Duke dedicated his book to Shahak. An open collaborator with Palestinian terrorists, Shahak toured the world "confirming" the accuracy of every Nazi smear against Jews. He justified pogroms against Jews as something they deserved. His "work" continues to be carried on every Holocaust Denial web site on earth.

The heads of the Hebrew University never took any action against Shahak during the many years in which he devoted himself to promoting Neo-Nazism while drawing his salary from the university. It remains to be seen if they will take any action now against Mandler.

Update: Prof. Mandler has issued the following statement regarding the affair:

February 17, 2009

I did not expect you to get my comment before publishing this article or verify the details, yet, I will appreciate if you post my comments and the facts about the “Eruv” in Jerusalem:
1. Comparing me with Prof. Shahak is not only offending and misleading but also of cheap accusation that reminds of the general allegations used against Jews in Europe. I am not anti-Israeli or anti-Judaism and I wonder what you wanted to achieve by writing such a long paragraph about Prof. Shahak. This has nothing to do with me and you had better searched more about me before writing these irrelevant, not to say, disgusting words.
2. Your article is full of incorrect information, such as the fact that I was not arrested. You even misspelled my name, which is Daniel and Danny Mandler. But this is not the major point. You completely misled the readers by your own opinion that is not based on the facts about the “Eruv” in Jerusalem. Therefore, I bring here the facts, which I will be glad if you can share with your readers. And let them decide.

Some Facts about the “Eruv” in Jerusalem
Since Saturday night I constantly receive accusations, threats and other “blessings” by Jews who read articles like that published in The Jewish Press Blog. Most do not know and maybe do not even want to know what is behind my action on Friday night. Many of you do not live in Israel and yet found it very easy to run into conclusions about my faith and Judaism. So let me try and explain to you the facts, and as a scientist, I will tightly adhere to them. It is not my intention to convince you, as most of you have very clear opinion about me being a secular Jew.
Until 2004 the “Eruv” around Jerusalem satisfied the orthodox population in Jerusalem. You can still find in the Internet (http://www.daat.ac.il/daat/shabat/eruv/shaar-2.htm) the map of this “Eruv”. We, who are secular, have nothing against this “Eruv” who is common in every city and village in Israel including army bases. From 2005 and on and for some unclear reasons (also to most of the orthodox Jews living in Jerusalem) a small and very fanatic group decided that this is not enough. Illegally and without the permission of the municipality or the Jerusalem Religious Council (which is, in fact, responsible for the “Eruv” in Jerusalem) they have installed hundreds of “Eruv” poles across the neighborhoods, religious and non-religious. They never asked the people in the neighborhoods. Moreover, they even welded aluminum gates to the fences of private houses without asking the owners! Trees were cut in a vandalistic manner (I can provide photos) and poles were installed adjacent to the roads in a dangerous way. Even more surprising and frustrating was the fact that the private company, which was responsible for that “Eruv Mehudar”, obtained a document signed by one of the council members of Jerusalem (Rabe Shmuel Itzhaki, who was responsible for parking issues) and was not authorized to issue such permission. Whenever, we called the police they took out this document and the police did not stop them from their illegal act.
I wrote several letters (can provide you with them) to the previous mayor of Jerusalem Mr. Luplianski who did not answer for a long time. Finally he sent an unclear letter saying that the municipality objects any violence. Then, I wrote a letter to the municipal comptroller, attorney Shlomit Rubin. She sent a letter to Shmuel Itzhaki who denied that he issued such authorization letters (although we have a copy of the letter signed by him). A letter sent by her to Mr. Luplianski has never been replied. More recently the manager director of the city Mr. Yair Maayan ordered to remove the poles, due to the fact that they were installed illegally. However, the municipal supervision acting director, Mr. Meir Dadya refused (he probably was afraid). A few weeks ago the legal consultant attorney Yossi Havilio published a clear decision stating that the poles should be removed.
In spite of all this, the new elected mayor of the city Mr. Nir Barkat decided recently to establish a committee which should try and find a solution for the “Eruv” poles. This was very disappointing for most of the secular citizens who voted for him and were hoping that he will simply enforce the law and remove the poles from the non-religious neighborhoods in Jerusalem.
It is not a secret that many of the secular Jews are leaving Jerusalem. During the last 15 years since Ehud Ulmert became the mayor (for the second time) the non-orthodox population in Jerusalem is constantly abused and discriminated. Only recently, just before the municipality elections Mr. Polak (deputy to the mayor) decided to build kindergartens for the orthodox children just in the middle of Kiryat Yovel, where I live and which is a secular neighborhood. The citizens appealed to the court, demonstrated and acted very strongly against this decision, which was finally cancelled (only after Nir Barkat was elected).
Jerusalem is a very problematic city. For someone like me who has been living here since I completed my army service in 1980, life has not been simple. The orthodox, secular and Arab populations have to live together, live and let live. Jerusalem belongs to everyone and life cannot be dictated by one of these parties.
I would not propose to build a non-kosher (and illegal) restaurant in the middle of an orthodox neighborhood but at the same time the orthodox people have to understand that we will not let them control our lives. Surprisingly, orthodox people usually do not understand why the “Eruv” poles disturb the secular population; however, will get mad of innocent advertisement pictures if hung in a bus station in a secular (yes, not orthodox!) neighborhood.
I am against any type of violence. I am not proud by my symbolic act carried out on Friday night, which was meant to protest against the attitude of the municipality and our disappointment by the fact that Nir Barkat has decided to legalize the illegal “Eruv” poles. I and my friends do not have another Jerusalem and will not leave the city, which we love and fought for it. We do not hate Jews and have nothing against Judaism. Sentences like “Mandler is not the first hater of Judaism at the Department of Chemistry…” reminds me of the anti-Semitic propaganda in some neighboring countries.
There is a big barrier between me and most of those who had sent me nasty mails and articles and who unfortunately believe that the law of Torah is above the law of the State of Israel. Moreover, many of those justify violence and aggression by the name of God against me and my family. Since Saturday night I and my family are constantly threatened. Yesterday, a few people have tried to assault me in my office at the Hebrew University. I and my friends have never acted violently against any Jew.
I hope that the “Eruv” matter will be solved peacefully; however, we will fight for our right to live in Jerusalem according to our faith. My parents were born in Europe and survived the holocaust, my father fought for the State of Israel and so I did and my son (only recently). My daughter is currently in the army and my younger son will join the army as well. Nobody, neither in Israel nor abroad will tell me and my family what it means to be Jewish and how to live in Jerusalem.

Daniel Mandler

פרופ' דניאל מנדלר Prof. Daniel Mandler
הפקולטה למדעי הטבע Faculty of Science
המחלקה לכימיה Department Chemistry
ירושלים 91904 Jerusalem 91904