At present, two Bnei Brak residents are in custody in connection to the probe into the chardakim campaign, the campaign against chareidim serving in the IDF.
YWN-ISRAEL on Tuesday reported their arrests in addition to a third suspect, a resident of Modi’in Illit. He heard police were looking for him and turned himself over to police later in the day. A fourth suspect in the case is expected to soon be in custody.
The suspects are reportedly followers of HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Auerbach Shlita, member of the so-called ‘Yerushalmi Faction’ of the litvish Torah community. Unlike the Gedolei Torah in Bnei Brak, Rav Auerbach has instructed his followers not to cooperate with military authorities in any way, and this includes refraining from all draft notices and any and all visits to draft centers.
One soldier, Yehuda Glickman, who explains was negatively impacted by their pamphlet entitled The Hunters (הציידים) has filed a civil suit against the suspects too for his photo appeared as well as personal information. Glickman feared for his life and he therefore hired a private detective in the hope of learning who was behind the damaging publication. The detective masqueraded as a Satmar philanthropist who wished to donate major funds to the campaign against chardakim. This led him to the suspects. The civil suit is in the amount of NIS 2.4 million.
Assisting the civil suit is the fact the criminal indictment contains terms such as “character assassination” against chardakim appearing in the pamphlet. Glickman speaks of another pamphlet too, this one entitled “Shmad at the Induction Center”, referring to chareidim in the IDF as the “nation’s garbage can”.
Glickman’s lawsuit is against all four suspects, mentioning yet another publication, “Selection”, containing an implied connection between IDF selection of personnel and Nazi selection during WWII.
The suspects, were arraigned on Wednesday in the Jerusalem Magistrate Court while dozens of supporters, bnei torah, danced outside singing “Utzu Eita”. The court ordered all three held over until Sunday in line with a police request.
Police report five supporters outside became unruly and were arrested for disorderly conduct and striking policemen.
A fourth suspect in the chardakim case is expected to be arrested in the near future.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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One Response
Cheers for Glickman & HATZALACHA in reducing machlockes among Klal Yisroel…
Did u notice what donor found these culprits? Careful who & where u give your tzedakah. Even check out ownership of popular stores & find out where there measer funds go. Much dissension/rallies are funded by American & European askanim.