_a.jpg "Photo: Yaron Brenner")
Sderot rally - How many were there?
Photo: Yaron Brenner
Nahum Barnea
Photo: GPO
Arguing over numbers
Settlers slam police for providing false rally attendance figures
This time it wasn’t a show put up for the benefit of the media: Settler leader Pinchas Wallerstein was truly upset.
“What’s the story with the police announcing there are only 5,000 people here,” he said angrily. “You know full well there are many more here.”
Wallerstein complained about the figures disseminated by the police. “We don’t count those on the way,” Bar-Lev said. “Only the ones who are here.” Later in the evening he admitted the number of participants in the rally had swelled up to 17,000.
Tuesday, a bit past 8 p.m., he quickly crossed the lawn in the southern town of Sderot, his cane extended before him, crossed the red tape surrounding the police tactical headquarters, and approached Police Chief Moshe Karadi and Southern District Commander Uri Bar-Lev.
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“They’re lying,” he told my later. “They made up the 5,000 figure because they wanted to limit the number of participants to 5,000. When they failed to do this on the ground, they attempted to do it by issuing false announcements to the media.”
“They’re not blocking buses. They’re just forcing them to take a different route. They directed traffic from all directions to the Hodaya junction. They got the buses stuck in a traffic jam.”
‘Show me one moped’
Under the internal, unofficial division of duties among police ranks, Bar-Lev was assigned the “Wallerstein portfolio.” The others, Bentzi Lieberman, Shaul Goldstein, Eliezer Hasdai, are considered more moderate. Usually, they’re handled by the police chief.
Ze’ev (Zambish) Hever is a conundrum in the eyes of the police. At the end, they find themselves dealing with eight different people who pretend they are not bound by any hierarchy. A commitment undertaken by one doesn’t always obligate the others.
“Pinchas,” Bar-Lev told him, “If I’ll prove to you that you’re bluffing, will you admit to your mistake?” He dragged Wallerstein to the tent were the screens featuring photos sent by the pilotless drone were received.
“Here is the Hodaya junction,” he said. “Show me one moped at the intersection.”
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“I’m not an expert on numbers,” he said.
‘He’s a snitch’
The demand to limit the number of participants came from the security establishment, as a result of the Qassam rocket threat.
“Bring me a note from Mofaz saying he doesn’t object to the rally in Sderot,” the police chief said. Police officials went to Mofaz, but returned without a note. The main assignment the 900 police dispatched to the area were tasked with was to push the crowd to nearby buildings should a rocket land.
The security establishment also demanded protesters leave town by 9:30 p.m. at the latest. Wallerstein obligated to do so, yet the rally continued past 10 p.m.
At night, Wallerstein disengaged: He was angry with the police, who shrunk his figures, and angry with his colleagues, for breaking his promise. Some of the more radical protesters charged him with getting too close to police officers.
He’s a snitch, they said. He’s a collaborator.
Meanwhile, Wallerstein left behind him a large cloud of anger, and disappeared for 24 hours.
