THE COMMENTS WILL BE ANTI-SEMITIC

The comments will also be just plain stupid and ignorant. Guaranteed.


This in reference to this article in the Algemeen Dagblad:
http://www.ad.nl/buitenland/2412888/Hoed_inzet_van_straatoorlog.html


It's in Dutch, but the gist of it is that two groups of Vishnitzer Chassidim in Bnei Brak are in conflict over the succession of the two sons of Rabbi Yehoshua Moshe Hagar, fighting not with Saturday-night specials or machine guns, but by grabbing as many shtreimlech of the opposing side as they can - thus forcing the other side to negotiate or give in, rather than losing the investment which their headgear necessitated.

When Rabbi Yehoshua Moshe Hagar fell ill, his followers divided into two camps - supporters of rabbi Yisroel and supporters of rabbi Menachem Mendel. The first side controls the shul, the second the neighborhood.

A shtreimel can be very expensive indeed - a few thousand dollars. Hence captured shtreimels becoming "hostages".


Anyhow, this furry mishegoss is not earth-shattering news, and there are precious few amongst the readers of the Algemeen Dagblad who will actually know what a Chassid is, where Bnei Brak might be located, or in fact that Chassidim are not a majority of practicing Jews. Many Dutch are fairly ignorant about matters outside their own fold, and most comments under internet articles reflect that ignorance abundantly.

The Dutch are also exceptionally good at criticizing the ideas, habits, and customs of others. And generally being negative.
[We call that 'azijn-zijken' or 'terpentijn-pissen', both of which terms would be unprintable in English, but refer to a stream of burning liquid (azijn: vinegar; terpentijn: turpentine) coming out of the urethra. There's also a term about testicularly dessicated individuals who have congress with canaries, or ants..... Dutch is a very flavourful language.]

Lashon Hara and Lashon Holanda are cousins. Perhaps not actual bloodrelatives, but they're closer than two ridgerunners in a barn.


So I'm predicting that the comments underneath the article in the Algemeen Dagblad will be repulsive.
And at some point some iggerunt cheese will bring up the Palestinians. Because, of course, ANYthing Jewish must naturally mean EVERYthing Jewish, Jewish means Israeli, and Israeli means repression of Palestinians and (by implication) exploitation of innocent and helpless natives all over the third-world.
Manifestly, wearing a fur hat is another way of imposing tyranny.