Ultra-orthodox Youths Continue Stoning Buses in Jerusalem

Ultra-zealous Orthodox youths of the Neturei Karta organization continued stoning buses last night, while their elders held an open-air mass meeting denouncing alleged Sabbath violations. The Neturei Karta demonstrations, begun Saturday, re suited in the arrest of 18 youths. Two policemen were injured, and numerous buries carrying Christian pilgrims entering Israel from Jordanian territory through the Mandelbaum Gate, were damaged.

During last night’s demonstration, Amram Blau, one of the Neturei Karta leaders, addressed a crowed of his adherents in Yiddish, denouncing Sabbath desecrations. He threatened that, next Saturday, “all of Jerusalem will assemble to defend the Sabbath.” Meanwhile, youthful followers continued attacking buses, throwing passengers into a panic. The Hamkasher Cooperative, whose buses were the cause of the demonstrations, continued today to bypass passenger routes through the two districts inhabited by the ultra-Orthodox — Mea Shearim and Bet Yisroel.

Of of the 18 youths arrested Saturday, 12 were remanded to jail for five days each. They were being held for hearings, and not sentenced, as erroneously reported earlier. Six others were freed on parole, to be tried with the 12. Among the six was 16-year-old Jacob Warhaftig, a son of Dr. Zorach Warhaftig, Minister for Religious Affairs. The youth is a student at an Orthodox yeshiva here.

Magistrate Moreno Levy, who heard the police charges of rioting against the arrested youths, ordered that those being detained be given facilities in jail to observe Tisha-b’Av, the traditional Jewish day of mourning over the destruction of the two temples. Tisha-b’Av starts at sunset tonight.