MK Omer Bar-Lev asked Minister of Public Security Yitzchak Aharonovich what his office has done and plans to do regarding attacks against religious IDF soldiers by chareidim as was reported to have occurred in Beit Shemesh. Bar-Lev reminded the minister how the IDF has granted permission to chareidi soldiers to go to and from their homes in civilian clothing to avoid being attacked verbally and physically.

The query was posed to the minister who responded in the Knesset plenum.

Minister Aharonovich stated that he probed the matter with police, and he has learned there have been no such occurrences in “recent months”. The minister added police have not received a single complaint of any such attacks.

Bar-Lev then explained to the minister that in his capacity as chairmen of a Knesset subcommittee dealing with these issues, he is aware that there were indeed attacks and it is clear that there is a lack of communications between IDF authorities and police. Bar-Lev added that 130 complaints are on file from the last year, all involving attacks against chareidi soldiers.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)