Jerusalem – What should have been a regular bus ride home from a Sunday youth program took a violent twist as a ten year old Israeli girl was attacked because she was holding a cell phone that lacked rabbinical certification. The unlikely attackers, according to the victim, were a pair of Chareidi girls.
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Israeli news site Ynet reported that Shira Gabbay arrived at an Elad bus stop with several friends at approximately 7 PM Sunday night. When two Chareidi girls who were waiting for the bus got up from their seats, Shira sat down, and taking note of her phone, the pair allegedly demanded the device, announcing their intention to destroy it because it was not a kosher phone. When Shira refused to surrender her phone, the two girls reportedly took matters into their own hands, hitting and kicking Shira and pulling her hair.
“My little girl burst into tears and so did her friends,” said the girl’s mother, Shoshi Gabbay.
Shira, her friends and the two Chareidi girls all boarded the bus when it arrived. Mrs. Gabbay said that despite the fact that a visibly bruised Shira and her friends were crying, neither the driver nor any of the passengers made any attempt to find out what was wrong. The two Chareidi girls left the bus two stops later.
Mrs. Gabbay said that both her daughter and her friends came home traumatized and crying. Pictures show the brown eyed little girl with a swollen cheek.
The Gabbays filed a police report but said that, so far, little to find their daughter’s attackers.
“They probably go to school in the vicinity of that bus station or live in the area,” said Shira’s father, Shai Gabbay. “I assume there’s a security camera on the bus and with a few well phrased questions, the children could be found.”
While the Gabbays said they met with police at the bus station and that police asked the bus company for information about the driver, the bus company said that they had no report of the attack. The Rosh HaAyin police station confirmed that they are investigating the incident.
Shira’s friends’ parents also expressed concern over the incident and scheduled a meeting today with Elad’s mayor, Yisrael Porush.
“We are afraid to let our children ride the bus,” said one mother. “We can’t let our children live in fear of being hit and abused over a cell phone.”
Dont quite believe this whole story.
The attackers should be put on trial and convicted. They have never been taught that they are not Hashem’s policemen. Their teachers and menahalos should likewise be relieved of their duties, as their failure to teach their students basics of Yiddishkeit disqualifies them from their jobs. I do not favor smartphones for children, and I subscribe to all the takanos. Children are never in charge of such affairs, and their attack was a brutal violation of Torah values, far more than the violation of the takanos about cell phones.
Our chinuch systems are frightfully errant in teaching what is an Ikar and a Tofel.
This is disgusting! You don’t want a smartphone, fine I have no problem with that. But I do want a smart phone not to look at schmutz, but to conduct my day to day business, I travel for business and the smartphone has enabled me to get more work. But children being taught to attack other children, demanding that the little girl turn over her phone to them! When have we become so intolerant of others. What are we becoming? There actions are no different than the arabs who try to kill us.
If this was true, and I’m skeptical as is No. 1, the attackers should be taken from their parents and placed in some rehab facility since they are probably to young to be sent to prison. They need to be “de-programmed” from their violent tendencies promoted by either by their parents or from some deranged morah or rebbe in their yeshiva.
This is just so sad. How traumatic for this girl!
Although as a parent i think that 10 is really to young to have a smartphone.
These incidents will continue as long as local law enforcement in EY, doesn’t take these violations seriously. There have been attacks on Israeli cops and soldiers by Chareidim, and nothing has been done about it. The cops should stage mass raids in areas where attacks have taken place, and not worry about the political ramifications. Also, for your naysayers who don’t believe this story, the Chareidim can be just as violent, as gentiles. I remember years ago, in Williamsburgh, that Chassidim surrounded some poor Puerto Ricans, who were going about their business and stomped them, because of their ethnicity.
Story doesn’t pass the sniff test.
A kosher phone is one that isnt used to relay loshon horah, motzi shem ra and rechilus. A kosher bat yisroel is one who is taught to treat others respectfully even if you disagree with them. A Chariedi is one who trembles from Hashems constant watch and no Chareidi would have hurt this girl. Shame on the bullying bystanders. If this were your daughter what would you have wanted others to do. Shame on those who cast dispersion on this poor girls story. Were you there to say that this story is not true? Shame on those judging whether the girl should have a phone or not, Its not our business. There is a ten year old girl with physical symptoms of abuse. May Hashem help her find healing both emotionally and physically. My heart goes out to her and her Mother.
So some posters seem to have nasal problems here. If the story isn’t factual that means a group of young (like 10 year old) girls conspired to make up this story and cry all night at their respective abodes (so the story in the YNET), but to what end then?