The editor-in-chief of the haredi daily newspaper Hapeles was reportedly
assaulted late Thursday night outside his Jerusalem home. The attack is
thought to be part of the power struggle for leadership of the
non-hasidic Ashkenazi haredi community.
Nati Grossman
Originally published at 9:22 pm CST 12-22-2012
Haredi Infighting Allegedly Cause Of Assault Against Haredi Newspaper Editor
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
The editor-in-chief of the haredi daily newspaper Hapeles was reportedly assaulted late Thursday night outside his Jerusalem home. The attack is thought to be part of the power struggle for leadership of the non-hasidic Ashkenazi haredi community.
Witnesses saw two men, one who seemed to be haredi, the second wearing a mask, attack Nati Grossman outside the front door of his home in the Bayit Vegan neighborhood, Ha'aretz reported.
After the attack, Grossman was taken by ambulance to Hadassah University Hospital Ein Karem, where he was treated for minor injuries. He was discharged on Friday afternoon.
Sunday’s Hapeles will reportedly run a denunciation of the attack by Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach, who leads the ultra-conservative breakaway faction of haredim that controls Hapeles, and who lost a bid for haredi leadership earlier this year. Grossman is a senior member of Auerbach's group.
After losing his bid for haredi leadership and having his followers removed from positions of control in the Ashkenazi haredi newspaper Yated Ne’eman, controlled by haredi leader Rabbi Aharon Leib Shteinman, Auerbach and his allies founded Hapeles. Grossman joined the staff this summer when he was ousted from Yated Ne'eman.
Auerbach’s faction also founded Netzach, a political party that threatens to take votes away from United Torah Judaism – the combination of the Shteinman-controlled Degel HaTorah Faction and the hasidic-controlled Agudath Israel faction – in next month's Israeli elections.
Auerbach has not yet made an official decision to support Netzach.
Update 4:31 am CST – The Times of Israel reports that two haredi men in their twenties were arrested this morning for allegedly attacking Grossman. The men are expected to be arraigned later today.