Naftali Bennett
Naftali Bennett Attacked By Haredim At Western Wall
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
The chairman of the right wing Zionist Orthodox HaBayit HaYehudi political party Naftali Bennett was attacked by a haredi mob at the Kotel, Western Wall, earlier today as he attempted to pray, Arutz Sheva reported.
When Bennett arrived he was greeted by more than 100 well-wishers and supporters. But as he began to pray, haredim began pushing Bennett and screaming at him, causing supporters of Bennett to rush to defend him, almost causing a riot.
Haredim screamed "take off your kippa, you are not Jewish," "garbage," and slurs Israeli news websites refused to print at Bennett, apparently because his party wants haredim who are not studying in yeshiva to serve in the military or do national service .
Bennett personal security officers held off the haredim.
After the attack, Bennett went to the nearby office of Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, the rabbi of the Kotel for what is said to have been a planned visit.
During his regular Saturday night public lecture, the founder and spiritual leader of the Sefardi haredi Shas political party Rabbi Ovadia Yosef criticized Bennett and HaBayit HaYehudi, calling the right wing Zionist Orthodox party a party of “goyyim.”
“[They’re] non-religious. They come to uproot the Torah. Those who elect them deny the Torah, this is the Jewish Home? This is the Jewish Home of the goyyim [gentiles].They come to promote civil marriage, to promote public transportation on Shabbat, these are religious people? You cannot call them religious, you must not vote for them," Yosef said.
The attack also concides with a visit to Israel by the Williamsburg Satmar Rabbi Rebbe Zalman Leib Teitelbaum, who is trying to disrupt the Israeli national election scheduled to take place tomorrow. Teitelbaum is vehemently anti-Zionist, and spoke last night to a crowd of thousands of haredim urging them not to vote and railing against the Zionist state.
Police reportedly detained one haredi youth involved in today's attack. He allegedly shouted at Bennett, "You have some nerve! You want to draft our children to the army, mothers are crying at night!”
Bennett allegedly responded by saying, "I love you,” causing the haredi to retort, "Then leave me alone! let me study Torah! Don't force me to go to the army, you're inciting sin! Take your kipa off!"