Skip to content or view screen version

Young Jew Sings Protest to Chief Rabbi, Gets Arrested

Dovid | 11.01.2009 20:27 | Anti-militarism | Palestine | World

LONDON - A young Jewish man was arrested today after singing at the Chief Rabbi of GB, Jonathan Sacks, during his speech at today's End Hamas Terror (pro-Israel) rally.

Dovid Von Neumann stood up on the ridge of a Trafalgar Square fountain and sung the well known child's Chanukah song 'Sevivon sov sov sov.' [Spinning-top, spin spin spin] He was pushed into the iced fountain by members of the demonstration and was wrestled into police custody by special Jewish security guards.

Whilst the ongoing Israeli bombing of Gaza began during the festival of Chanukah, Jewish children around the world received the traditional gift of a four sided spinning-top (sevivon in Hebrew, driedel in Yiddish). Jewish children play a betting game on whichever side the sevivon should land on. Today these are mostly made from plastic; once upon a time they were cast in lead - hence Operation Cast Lead, the name given by Israel to its current Gaza incursion.

Dovid explains:

"I wished to highlight the insidiousness of how the current Israeli invasion into Gaza was named after a child's toy made from a highly toxic material, lead, and how Palestinian children have been at the mercy of such randomly falling deathly devices. Houndreds of children in Gaza have been killed by indirect attack, like flying shrapnel or inadequate medical resources, whilst many have died through direct attack. It's as if Israel had the lead sevivon in mind as a metaphorical present to Palestinian children."

Through his red megaphone, Dovid also accused Rabbi Sacks of being unrepresentative of the Jewish community in his claims that British Jews supported Israel's current military action.

As he was being grabbed by a Jewish security guard inside the semi-frozen Trafalgar Square fountain, Dovid was seen kissing the guard on each cheek, a traditional way of greeting another Jew. Nevertheless the guard snapped his megaphone in half and pulled him to the crowd, who assisted to drag him to the pavement. Dovid was screaming "Ani gam Yehudi! "[I'm also Jewish] but he was nevertheless handcuffed and carried away by Police. The on looking crowd, mostly Jewish and Hebrew speaking, was left quite shocked.

Dovid, 25, was held for a number of hours by Metropolitan Police until the day's other demonstrations were over. He was released without charge.

Dovid

Additions

"The enemy within"

13.01.2009 00:56

Counter-protest, Trafalgar Square, 11 Jan 09 - Picture 1
Counter-protest, Trafalgar Square, 11 Jan 09 - Picture 1

Counter-protest, Trafalgar Square, 11 Jan 09 - Picture 2
Counter-protest, Trafalgar Square, 11 Jan 09 - Picture 2

Counter-protest, Trafalgar Square, 11 Jan 09 - Picture 3
Counter-protest, Trafalgar Square, 11 Jan 09 - Picture 3

Counter-protest, Trafalgar Square, 11 Jan 09 - Picture 4
Counter-protest, Trafalgar Square, 11 Jan 09 - Picture 4

Counter-protest, Trafalgar Square, 11 Jan 09 - Picture 5
Counter-protest, Trafalgar Square, 11 Jan 09 - Picture 5

At the end of the demonstration, some members of the dispersing pro-Israeli crowd shouted abuse at Jewish counter-demonstrators, calling them “the enemy within”.

eyewitness


Comments