IDF officials have reportedly issued an order permitting haredi IDF soldiers who live in Beit Shemesh to travel to and from their homes in civilian clothing. The order was issued several months ago but only made public this week. The order was issued due to the large number of physical and verbal attacks against these haredi soldiers by haredi thugs in Beit Shemesh, and the inability – or unwillingness – of Beit Shemesh police and the town’s haredi mayor to do anything to stop them.
Haredi Attacks On IDF Soldiers Worsen
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
IDF officials have reportedly issued an order permitting haredi IDF soldiers who live in Beit Shemesh to travel to and from their homes in civilian clothing. The order was issued several months ago but only made public this week.
The order was issued due to the large number of physical and verbal attacks against these haredi soldiers by haredi thugs in Beit Shemesh, and the inability – or unwillingness – of Beit Shemesh police and the town’s haredi mayor to do anything to stop them.
Walla! News interviewed several Beit Shemesh haredi soldiers. Here’s a translated excerpt from Yeshiva World:
Walla: “What about combat officers, who travel with a weapon. Aren’t they detected even if traveling in civvies?”
“M,” a haredi soldier: “They are recognized but it is not the same if they are not wearing the uniform. It is not as in their face in civvies. They respond to this as they do when they feel a woman is passing through and she is not dressed modestly.”
Walla: “Are you speaking of people who follow a certain rabbi? Have you tried speaking with them?”
“M”: “We have tried, not just me but others, on several occasions, including with their rabbis, but it appears [the rabbis] do not have control over them [the fanatics].”
“Y,” another haredi soldier: “I do not feel this is done with the backing or encouragement of the rabbis, as extreme as they may be. Speaking from a personal perspective, the attitude towards us in the city from the haredim makes it difficult. You are out there trying to defend the country, you give of yourself and place yourself in danger at times and at the end you have to take off the uniform [to get home and back]. You have to sneak home and out so you are not recognized as if you are heading to a [Palestinian] refugee camp in Jenin. This is an embarrassment to the state and to us as a society.”
“A,” another haredi solder: “It took months of requesting until IDF officials approved it. It makes a significant difference for us. I return home with a feeling of safety. I do believe tensions surrounding this have diminished somewhat of late but I do not wish to chance my luck here. They train us to fight in the battlefield and not to defend ourselves against haredim. This is what the police are for.”