Jerusalem – A haredi soldier was attacked by dozens of haredi men on Tuesday night in the ultra-Orthodox Jerusalem neighborhood of Mea Shearim.
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According to the police, at approximately 19:30 the soldier, who was in uniform, was surrounded and threatened by approximately 100 haredi men on Gimzo Street in the heart of Mea Shearim, but managed to flee to a nearby building and alert the police.
Several police units were called to the scene, including border police and riot police, who forcibly broke through the crowd of haredi men and succeeded in safely extracting the soldier.
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the unidentified soldier was “shaken up” but not injured when police arrived, adding that stones were thrown at officers by the crowd before the soldier was transported to safety.
A low-level riot continued after the soldier was extracted, with more haredi men joining the crowd, until the police succeeded in dispersing the protesters.
At least four arrests were made on charges of disturbing the peace.
Minister for Science and Technology Yaakov Peri, who headed a committee which has drawn up legislation for drafting haredi men into the army, strongly condemned what his office termed “an attempted lynch.”
“Any attempt to physically harm or [damage] the morale of soldiers will be answered immediately and uncompromisingly by the state,” said Peri.
“Incidents such as what occurred this evening will not be allowed to pass quietly by the authorities. I request from the leaders of haredi society to assert control before a tragedy happens.”
Shas chairman Arye Deri said he was shocked and disgusted by the attack, blaming it on “extremist and delinquent youth.”
“Their ways are not our ways, and the sages said he who lifts up a hand against his fellow is called an evil person,” Deri noted in a statement to the press.
The Shas chairman said he was calling on the heads of all political parties to “return to dialogue, understanding and reconciliation,” in order to avoid similar incidents.
There have been at least two other physical attacks against haredi soldiers by members of the haredi public in recent weeks.
A concerted campaign is currently being conducted by radical elements in the ultra-Orthodox community to delegitimize and stigmatize haredi men who choose to serve in the IDF as having betrayed the haredi community.
The campaign includes the dissemination of flyers, posters and information about the “danger” haredi soldiers pose to the ultra-Orthodox community.
In a Knesset committee hearing last week, Brigadier-General Gadi Agmon from the IDF Manpower Directorate noted that the army has received 80 complaints of physical violence and verbal abuse, in which haredi soldiers have reported that tires of their vehicles have been slashed, graffiti has been sprayed at their homes, they have been spat on and had stones thrown at them.
Content is provided courtesy of the Jerusalem Post
(Photos below courtesy to VIN News by Ariel Finder, 24 News)
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Perfect behaviour these days when we mourn the destruction of the Bais Hamikdosh due to, well, this behaviour.
They need to carry their guns with them and defend themselves. A bunch of uncivilized human beings.
Civil war is almost here. It’s only a matter of time now. There is nothing to negotiate with the Haredim, there is nothing to discuss, no common ground anymore. All that’s left now is to battle it out.
It’s time to enact a law that anyone, yes anyone, who attacks a soldier or policeman, get a mandatory stay in jail. These charedim who attack a fellow jew are nothing but animals and should be ashamed to call themselves jewish, let alone human. These are the people that are “sitting and learning for all of us?” They are sitting and learning like the pope is sitting and learning. Lets hear from alterg, Im sure that brainless wonder has something intelligent to say.
Why bother with fasting and mourning this year. Moshiach has no chance of coming while Jews behave this way towards their brethren. For shame.
Chayalim risked their life and died to fight Hitler and now this ilk in the nine days is attacking a Jewish soldier. As a survivor I say better deal with goyim than this erev rav
Hate breeds hate.
Thank You Lapid for starting this inciting war of words. Calling an entire populace “leeches” and “parasites” wont bring more enlistees. This is the result.
what a shame,
use live bullets on the crowd
Why does this solider came to a jewish neighberhood to begin with? He knew this will happen, shame on him
Why do I feel like these “Charedim” are nothing other than losers? If they aren’t going to work they should at least learn, but they are all standing around wasting time, and worst of all beating up other frum Jews? What is wrong with these people?
Rashaim! Lamuh sa’akem es rea’achem?
Dispicable, the rabunim should condem this act of animosity specialy during the 9 days.
I was there and there where only a few individuals, not dozens.
Shame on him??? He knew that other Chareidim will lose their cool and attack him? That is not shameful?
Disgusting ! A Chareidi soldier that is in the army to protect his fellow brothers is attacked ! They should all serve in the army or leave to another country or Island ! What a Chillul Hashem
Why does a “holy community” looks like the slums of Pakistan? Clean up your neighborhoods if you want to represent God. Even Bronx looked better in the 80s crack era. They’re attacking soldiers today and tomorrow they’ll start acid attacks on women just like in Pakistan.
This is what happens when people don’t work (we see that in Egypt and in other places where there is violence) we have to take these people to the army to and in the army they can turn an animal into a human being, and then they could go and get a regular job so they would have money and they would have what to do during the day so they would not have to throw stones like the Arabs in GAZA and the West Bank
Its so reassuring to know these Torah scholars are hard at work protecting the country!
#1 Maybe he lives there? I think the better question is why would Jews hurt another jew for protecting jews??
perhaps he is a chareidi to begin with. the behavior of (some of) the residents of meah shearim shames me. do they really think this is the way to win friends and influence people? is this the way to bring on the geulah? is this what is meant by hochiach tochiach? I don’t think so
AlterG, he lives there? Wasn’t that a hava minah by you? Shame on you for thinking that soldiers can only live in Tel Aviv or its suburbs. Shame on the lowlifes in Meah Shearim who’s actions are inconsistent with Torah teachings and makes a mockery of Yiddishkeit. Maybe those idiots cut Matos-Masai out of the scrolls they read or they go to spit on the kever of Reuven on his yahrzeit. Either way they shouldn’t be lauded, they should be landed in jail.
Haredi cowards and weaklings. Dozens attacking one person. No different than several Haredim taunting or spitting at a lone woman. Major chillul Hashem. No wonder when secular Jews watch this on TV in Israel, they despise Haredim. The chilonim ask: Is this what your Torah teaches??
If these people want to live and act like they are still living in 17th century europe, then they should move to Poland and Hungary. They won’t because they know the gentiles in europe won’t be so nice to them, like Israel is.
לא ימוש התורה האמיתית והטהורה מפינו ומפי זרעינו
Alterg – this tisha b’av, take a nice long look in the mirror – you will see the reason why moshiach will not come in our day. You are a disgrace to yiddishkeit, you are nothing but hateful and despicable. I know these words are too big for you with that wonderful education you got in satmar. The rebbies in Satmar should all be ashamed of the hate that they teach you guys from the 1st day you set foot in cheder.
There must be more to the story. I don’t believe that a bunch of Hareidim saw a Hareidi soldier and decided to lynch him. Was there an argument ? Did the Haredi soldier pick a fight ? Something tells me it didn’t just happen the way it is depicted on this site, and other secular media outlets. Obviously attacking anyone is terrible.
Anxiously awaiting statement from Agudah condemning this un-Jewish and uncouth violence.
These men who rioted are supposed to be learning. We are told that this is what they do rather than work etc. Why is it that so many men are outside either involved in the incident or watching. I know that when I am at work I do not have time or the opportunity to travel the streets or step out on my balcony.
Secondly, (This comment is addressed to # 13 above). If you were there and very few people took part, why did no Hareidim step in to stop the mob attack. Were they all there gawking……taking time from their learning?
(Thirdly, this comment is directed to AlterG……I don’t know where you live, but I would like you to come to my neighborhood. You’ll see how true ehrlich people treat each other. We respect each other and love our fellow Yidden. Obviously the people who are in Mea Shearimg who conduct themselves this way are not real Jews. Did you not ever learn in grade school that we suspect a person’s lineage if he/she is not compassionate?)
Yes. And next week we will all be reading Eichah and saying kinos and wailing over the loss of the Bais Hamikdosh, when it is perfectly clear that Sinas Chinam is alive and well among “Torah Jews”. We have learned nothing, NOTHING, in 2000 years about Jews needing to be united. Forget about the Bais Hamikdosh; maybe we should fast and wail because we’re still a troublesome, childish, stiff-necked people without any sense in our heads.
according to arutz sheva he was visiting familly there
This is literally how Yerushalayim fell. Also, these people need to be doing something productive. They seem really bored.
Things to thin about:
-What happens when a Chareidi walks in a non-religious neighborhood? Nothing. They may give him strange looks, but no one would attack him for being a leech. -What would happen if a Chareidi walked in to an Arab Neighborhood”? Cv”S he may not return.
-What would happen if a Chiloni soldier walked into Meah Sharim? I am sure they would not have attacked the soldier if he was not a religious soldier.
The answer obviously is: tell all those in Mea Shearim that the Chareidi IDF soldiers now dress as arabs & have moved to Gaza – that should straighten a few things out & make everyone happy!
I think we should hit the people in Meah Shearim where it hurts them most; in their pockets. Stop buying from their stores, stop populating their streets, stop buying from their food establishments. Just see how quickly they’d stop hurting our chayalim!
Back in Europe, these Chareidim didn’t lift a finger as they were herded onto trains, but today in Israel, Lo Aleinu a frum yid wants to protect his fellow Jews and they beat him up!
…..aaaaaannnnndddd this is why nobody listens to “Gedolim” anymore.
Lets put this into perspective. These same youths would not dream of walking without their hat on the streets or eat an ice cream in the street. Yet, they have no problem surrounding and threatening a Jewish soldier like common Arab terrorists. This tells me that their street and their leadership frowns more on ice cream then beating up on another Jew. Fact! End of story!
All I see in all these comments is hate against chareidim & don’t fool anyone you’re a hater you’re a hater we all know the truth
what is this calling for the army to shoot people I’m ashamed to B called a jew who ever said that comment probably ashamed anyhow just found a reason to bash a frum yid it’s like the gemure says an am huertz hates a talmud chuchem more then a goy hates a jew & don’t tell me story’s you were all talking with broad strokes so anyone who reads the comments sees thru the hate
Remember the גמרא in מסכת גיטין ? We learned it in camp every Tisha B’av I couldn’t find anywhere that the בית המקדש was destroyed because they ate treif or the didn’t observe Shabbos it was only destroyed because of שנאת חנם and מחלוקת why don’t our Rabbinical leaders and daas Torah put an end to this? Is it because they are afraid if Moshiach comes they may loose their big buildings? I’m in my upper 50’s and I remember we HAD LEADERS who were not afraid to speak out against people looking for Machlokes. I remember I was a young child in the 60’s when The Holy Satmar Rebbi זצ”ל banned the local Williamsburg נטורי קרתא (they called themselves שווארצע after the family name of their leader) from Satmar Shul on Rodney St. He was a man with conviction he went to Manhattan center (in an inside auditoriam) sitting next to Reb. Moshe Feinstein to protest against forced autopsies in Israel. Never would he go out in the streets of NY to an anti-Israel protest. He would’ve dealt with it the correct way…WHERE ARE THE RABONIM? why don’t we hear their מחאות ? I hate to believe that we are ח”ו doomed. Young Rabonim and Roshei Yeshivos please save our children and grandchildren.
There have been numerous attacks against ultra-Orthodox soldiers of the IDF, by religious zealots in extremists in Mea Shearim. If these incidents involved Arabs attacking soldiers, the police and the Shin Bet, would have made mass arrests, and staged numerous raids, in an effort to identify the perpetrators, and any cells which they might be operating from. However, in these incidents, the Israeli Police, as well as the Shin Bet, have done next to nothing. Why are they handling the perpetrators with such kid gloves? Is it because of their political power?
Question; doesn’t chareidi mean frum? Religious? Observant? Just asking……..
It must be comforting to those posters that are charedi and disagree with these types of violent acts to claim that it’s just a few “zealots”. But it isn’t. The gedolim are silent as usual because they approve of it. This IS what charedism has become.
Are all blacks killers and under educated? No. Well All charedim don’t attack soldiers or spit on woman, there are bad apples everywhere. Posters here are embarrassed to be called yiddn bc of a few sickos that attacked a jewish soldier, well I’m embarrassed to be called a yid by all these yid haters here who attack a whole group of pp without knowing the whole story, mayb the soldier started by asking those few sick pp why they don’t join the army and they pounced him? And even if they did start up then so what, obviously they mentally ill and only other sick pp will use these mentally disturbed and define a whole community by there actions.
it is up to the gedolim to speak out and stop this right now. Can you hear the little boys call the police nazis?
It would be a real Kiddush hashem for the security forces to bulldoze the homes along the street this brave IDF soldier was attacked just as they would do to the homes of “innocent” Palestinians who attacked a member of the IDF. These Chareidim have openly declared and shown they don’t wish to be treated as normal human beings and we should grant them their wish.