“It looks like until a haredi soldier is murdered, nothing will be done to stop terror against the [IDF] recruitment of haredi men. The feeble response of authorities [to this violence and incitement] strengthens the daring and insolent behavior of the haredi zealot hooligans. The situation in which we ask [haredi] yeshiva boys to enlist but do not give them sufficient protection against the violence and incitement is intolerable."
Above: (file photo) Haredim stone police in Jerusalem in July 2011
Haredim Disrupt IDF Recruitment Meeting, Riot; Police Use Water Cannon, 3 Haredim Arrested
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
At least three haredim tried to disrupt a meeting of several dozen haredim who were preparing to enlist in the IDF Thursday night, police reportedly said.
The three young haredi men were arrested, and Army Radio reported several vehicles were damaged as a mini riot erupted. Police dispersed the growing anti-IDF haredi mob by using water cannons.
According to a report in the Times of Israel, allegedly unknown anti-IDF haredim also published the names and other personal details of the haredim who attended the IDF meeting so the community could identify, harass and ostracize them.
“It looks like until a haredi soldier is murdered, nothing will be done to stop terror against the [IDF] recruitment of haredi men. The feeble response of authorities [to this violence and incitement] strengthens the daring and insolent behavior of the haredi zealot hooligans. The situation in which we ask [haredi] yeshiva boys to enlist but do not give them sufficient protection against the violence and incitement is intolerable,” Reform Rabbi Uri Regev, the head of the religious freedom nonprofit Hiddush, reportedly said, adding that is “fair to assume” that if the haredim behind the production and dissemination of material that incites violence against haredi IDF soldiers and their recruiters would actually be arrested by police, prosecuted and sentenced to prison, that would “create deterrence.”
But despite waves of these clearly illegal haredi anti-IDF materials being published and disseminated and despite waves of violent attacks on haredi soldiers, police have made no arrests and do not even appear to have tried to seriously investigate the incitement.
Haredi politicians and top Defense Ministry leaders have reportedly been secretly working behind the scenes for months to write a new draft law that could pass High Court muster while still exempting all haredi yeshiva students from IDF service.
But any such new or amended law would likely only be a stalling tactic meant to delay further High Court reprimand of the Netanyahu government for failing to draft haredim. At the same time, Netanyahu’s tiny, fragile coalition is rushing to pass a bill that would limit or even eliminate much of the High Court’s powers, meaning there would be no effective checks and balances against any sitting government. That would allow a government to trample minority rights or give illegal preferential treatment to a voting bloc – like, for example, haredim – that hurts the country as a whole.