by Andrew Friedman
Hundreds of members of an extremist faction blocked traffic Thursday along central traffic arteries and intersections in Jerusalem, including roads adjacent to the haredi Mea Shearim and Geula neighborhoods, the city’s central bus station and the Jerusalem light rail on Jaffa Road.
Jerusalem police reported disturbances in hareidi Orthodox neighborhoods around the capital, including burning trash cans and physical clashes with officers who were called in to remove the protesters. At least 20 people were arrested by 6 pm.
The demonstrations were called by an extremist group known as The Jerusalem Faction and launched the “day of rage” by blocking traffic on Route 443, near the city of Modi’in.
The disturbances were held to protest the arrest of haredi draft dodgers earlier this week as well as police behavior at previous demonstrations. Members of the group said Wednesday that protesters would also block major intersections around the country sporadically throughout the day.
The demonstrations were sparked specifically by the arrest of two yeshiva students Tuesday who refused to appear at the IDF enlistment office in order to file their deferment papers. But they were part of a wider wave of demonstrations protesting a decision in September by the High Court of Justice that struck down a 2015 amendment to the Equality of Service Law that would have pushed off the law’s implementation until 2023.
The court gave the government one year to implement the terms of the original law requiring all Israelis to enlist in the IDF or to perform civilian national service.
The decision sparked repeated protests in extremist haredi strongholds of Jerusalem and Bnei Brak as well as furious denunciations by haredi political leaders who accused the justices of waging an “all-out war on Judaism” and of harboring an “thirst for dictatorial rule.”
“Throughout Jewish history there have been people, both inside and outside of our nation, who have tried to prevent yeshiva students from studying [Torah]. Some tried force, some tried other methods,” said MK Moshe Gafni (UTJ), who added that the justices “have no idea what the meaning of Torah study is. But they have never succeeded, and they won’t succeed today. Yeshiva students will continue to study, with or without the High Court of Justice,” Gafni added.
Gafni’s faction colleague, MK Yisrael Eichler, added that the haredim would not be defeated by the ruling, and recited a passage from the Rosh Hashanah prayer book predicting that ”the wicked government would soon disappear from the earth.”
“As soon as the Knesset reconvenes, we will join forces with other groups who have suffered under the dictatorial arm of the [court],” Eichler said. “We will fight anyone who tries to harm Torah students in the Holy Land. Yeshiva students will continue to study the holy Torah until the Messiah comes.”
Haredi exemption from military service has been a national issue since the State of Israel declared independence in 1948. During the 1990s, non-haredi groups have challenged the blanket exemption granted from the time of the rebirth of the state repeatedly, with the High Court of Justice repeatedly striking it down and ordering the state to legislate the issue formally.
Our Gedolim engaged in trade, were sailors, cobblers, masons, and carpenters, and fought in war. It’s a chilul Hashem for those studying Torah to ascribe special privileges unto themselves that have no basis in Torah or Talmud.
Arrest everyone of them. If they don’t want to participate in the laws of the country and protect the country, they can leave. I hear Iran has some housing options open, if they are interested!
Get up and help keep Israel safe, instead of acting like US Collage Students!!!!
Cut off their stipends & let them starve.
Many of them are not bona fide Torah scholars. There have even been letters to the Jewish Press from fathers-in-law of Torah scholars complaining about having to support sons-in-law who use Torah study as a pretext to loaf.
These are an embarrassment to us !
cowards
Sharon, I love your comments
Robert, very smart answer
They must serve in the military, stay in jail or leave the country as deserters.
Shameful.
Carl Resnick: Torah study is not an embarassment – the abuse of Torah study is the embarassment.
What do they think will happen to them if they don’t try to protect their country. Do they really think the Arab countries would let them live in peace? Do they think they would be allowed to live at all? Listen I want Mochiach to come soon too. But Ha-shm has said you must do for he can’t do it all. So those that meet Ha-shm halfway by doing by getting up and doing will be rewarded than those that sit like a lump and do nothing. As it is said Ha-shm helps those that helps themselves. So if they want Mochiach to come they need to get their butts in gear
Lazy parasites
They should serve in the IDF…period!
The 2 cowards need to be relocated !
The cowards of the country.
The police should use “The Skunk” on these demonstrators. They’d never take part in a demonstration again
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