(VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)
In Jerusalem’s Geulah neighborhood on Wednesday, Charedi extremists attacked a Charedi soldier and physically assaulted him.
The soldier was located inside of the Ma’adnei Gan Eden store on Malchei Yisroel Street, when he was surrounded by a large number of extremists who began shouting derisive remarks at him. Shortly thereafter, the situation deteriorated into cursing and screaming, as the extremists were joined by dozens of additional members who gathered quickly to the scene.
Passersby who saw what was happening called the police, who succeeded in evacuating the soldier from the location without injury.
VIDEO BY KOBI BETZALEL – מחאות החרדים הקיצוניים
Evyatar Elbaz, the head of the city council party called Me’urav Yerushalmi (Jerusalem Mix), was one of the people who rushed to aid and protect the soldier.
“I saw the extremists begin to congregate around the Charedi soldier who was minding his own business on the street. The extremists began to spit at him, to curse him and scream derogatory insults at him. They threw whatever they could find at him. I rushed over to the soldier and grabbed him and pulled him away from the angry mob that was forming. Police officers arrived very quickly and continued evacuating the soldier. It was simply shocking to see these scenes unfold and to hear such horrible curses just before Tisha B’Av.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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37 Responses
Such sinas Chinam…
Very sad and then we wanna know why mashiach has not come yet.
does kamtza and bar kamtza not mean anything now?
I’m sure Hashem is shepping loads of nachas from these so called yidden.
There was a time that I believed that those people in meah shariim were the real Jews, but now I believe that they only dress the part and inside they are sickos.
sick people
Contrast these clowns to the doctors and nurses in the other story who with their skill and care served as shloochei d’Rachmana to save a child’s life. Why don’t these people either sit in the Beis Medrash and learn or do something real for Klal Yisroel and Hashem. This goofing around in the street only leads to trouble, but these guys are bored because they aren’t doing anything of purpose. Sad when chilonim look more like bnei Avrohom Yitzchok v’Yakov than these guys in spite of their hats and jackets.
This is the result of indocrinating three generations of ‘Shalmers that the most important aspect of the religion is the hatred of Zionists and anything bearing a symbol of the ‘Medina’.
Exactly the same education as the arabs in East Jerusalem and Gaza.
Not that I condone their actions but it is only chinam if it is baseless? And is any effort made to judge these sad people l’kaf zechus? Maybe they are brainwashed. Maybe they are petrified that their kids will see a Chareidi soldier and want to join the army. You never know. Are they true Reshoim? That is a halachic question.
Bais Hamikdash= Not Coming
Would it be dangerous for tge mir yeshiva in meah shearim to say something ????????
You don’t have to condone the behavior of these protesters to realize that some of these protesters have seen their own brothers go to the army, shave off their peyos and come out of the army acting for the rest of their lives like complete goyim or worse. Maybe erev tisha B’Av one should think a little before calling shomer shabbos Yidden ‘sickos’. I WOULD PROBABLY ALSO HAVE GONE TO THAT SOLDIER’S AID, but why should I call the protesters ‘sickos’-? Do you not understand their pain?-They don’t want their children to go to the army and come out as reshoim gemurim….
I also think Nahal Haredi soldiers know by now it is unwise to walk through Meah Shearim wearing a tzahal uniform due to the sensitivity of the issue…….
To those who believe that they are HaShem’s protectors –
According to your outlook that joining the IDF is sinful – Is you heart broken because of the pain of the Avos and Imahos whose children these are!? Do you feel for the boys (and even girls) who according to your outlook are so lost!?
Unless you have risen to such a level you are making a serious error in attacking them. Not only are you driving many away from HaShem, but I fear that you are motivated by the thrill you get out of the excitement and the bullying behavior.
I never said joining the IDF is sinful for chilonim. However i happen to know what the gedolim think of Haredim and the IDF: Rav Aron Leib Zatzal agreed to nahal haredi for Haredi youths who were already ‘off the derech” in his words “had already been over issurim chamurim”. However for regular Haredi youth it was absolutely forbidden because of the extreme risk for their ruchnius.
Concerning irreligious soldiers who join the IDF- their presence in the IDF may well be the greatest mitzvah some of them ever do.
So the opposition these protesters are showing is exactly to counter the type of ignorance people show on a forum like this! Many think that because Rav Aron Leib Zatzal agreed to Nahal Haredi – it is now a mitzvah de’Oraysoh for all youth to join the IDF, or at least it is ‘perfectly acceptable for regular haredim to join’ -Nothing could be further than the truth!
oops- nothing could be further from the truth
I’m against ALL forms of violence, but let’s be even-handed in our reporting. On Wednesday, 7th of Av, settlers in Yitzhar assaulted some Border Police, with one policewoman requiring hospitalization. Three days before Tisha B’av. But, I guess that’s not news that’s relevant for the Chareidi Yeshiva World. A story that’s useful to condemn Chareidim — that’s worthy of reporting. But any other acts of violence, especially something committed by Hashem’s chosen ones — the DaL settlers — that’s not an acceptable news story. Maybe someone thinks there’s a difference between a Chareidi soldier and a chiloni police officer?
We can have our personal point of view with regard to serving in the IDF. However, we all are aware that if a terrorist comes into such an area, it is the IDF that puts their lives on the line. They don’t ask questions about who it is they are protecting. For that much, it is at a minimum, appropriate to say a tefila on a regular basis for the protection and safety of these soldiers. Unfortunately, the shuls in some of these “frum” communities are not willing to do that much.
chaim789: IDF soldiers generally are tasked with protecting a particular area of the country. They are not assigned to “save” a specific group of leftists, rightists, Chareidim, druze. etc. (This might be different in a counter terrorist assault or freeing hostages, something that has not occurred in quite some time.)
Regarding adding special tefillos for soldiers, I’d recommend arranging a meeting with some of the gedolei hador and try to persuade them to introduce changes in the davening. If you convince them, all Chareidim throughout the world will immediately begin reciting said tefilla. If not, you cannot fault the Chareidim for following the directives of their manhigim. It is possible to daven for their well-being with the existing refillos without reciting the words specifically prescribed by the Israeli Rabbanut, an institution whose authority is not widely accepted among many Chareidim.
It is unfortunate that we rely on these soldiers,but, will not even give them some recognition and appreciation. We all hear about the demonstrations about how terrible the army is, but, practically nothing of a positive effort to try to bridge the divide. Try to think of what they think of so many Chareidim that rely on their protection and what is provided as appreciation. It is the same for whenever someone provides you with a service. You would respond with a show of appreciation. There are many shuls that have a tfila for the medina and for the soldiers.
They hate apikorsim because Hashem hates apikorsim just a real son hates whatever his father hates, stop you goyshe (Christian) mentality of being tolerant to reshoim and the evil system that governs there, however violence is not the prime way of expressing your upsetness against these apikorsim.
Every Monday and Thursday we daven for Acheynu beis Yisroel hanesunim batzarah uveshivya, whether in the navy or the army (bayam uyabasha). Yes….. maybe we should all pay more attention to what we daven and then we’ll realise we already do indeed daven for Jewish soldiers who are in peril. So yes these ‘frum’ communities do daven for the soldiers.
Reb Dons….
Unless your purposely trolling, your disgusting efforts to rationalize physical and verbal assaults on members of the IDF suggests that you too are one of the “sickos”. If some of these fanatics and their rabbonim feel it is preferable to engage in civil disobedience rather than enlist in the IDF or even cooperate with the draft, thats their legal right and they should be prepared to pay the consequences. However, its time to authorize members of the IDF to use physical force to protect themselves since that may be the only real deterrent to these continued attacks. A few broken bones and some real physical pain may sadly be the only language these extremists understand.
The next time that you visit a doctor, or receive a service from whoever, you may be the type that does not say “thank you” or show appreciation. Why should you? You already included it in your tfilot on Monday and Thursday.
Perhaps if the soldiers that may need to come out for you would know this, they could avoid the trip and daven for you.
Chaim789, you don’t need add more tefilos, you are not from the anshei keneses hagedoila, don’t invent your own version of judaism.
Reb Dons: 1. Neither You nor these Rioters have no clue whose Ruchnius is greater. Wearing costumes of hats and coats of a type of person doesn’t make you more religious than another in a Uniform- only HASHEM knows who is better. You think HASHEM LIKES HATS? You have no business judging another and this whole group ABUSING AND HARRASSING people are just Street bums batteling zman behaving like Arab youth
Reb Dons: 2. The Soldier didn’t make the Law, he was following the Law. He may be More Frum than you, his davening may be stronger and more Sincere than the arioters or yours, how DARE YOU judge him- YOU THINK HE LIKES running into Nablus to Arrest Terrorists or sitting in a 100 Degree Fahrenheit Tank?!?! How dare they not show him human kindness and respect, how DARE THEY treat him so DISGUSTINGLY!
It’s time for the Jewish community to address these Hate monger Abusive Harrassing Rioters. They have no right to abuse people in Streets. How dare they. The Rabbis who send them sit home and eat Kugel while they incite hate and Bittul zman in Streets.
seeing a soldier doesn’t send someone someone off derech- they were off derech already from problems at HOME and or SCHOOL. Just like seeing a butcher, dentist or surgeon doesn’t make you want to throw your hat Off so their premise is False
To Gadolhadora and Chaim 789, I do not have any ‘personal opinion’ on the IDF, and I couldn’t care less about anyone else’s ‘personal opinion’ about the IDF (or anything else for that matter!). My ‘opinion’ is dictated to me by the gedolei Yisroel and If I/you try- maybe we’ll even understand their opinion. The gedolim have instructed us that the tefilloh of ‘Acheynu’ is sufficient for the soldiers of the IDF and we should not institute an extra teffilloh like you suggest….(against the instruction of our gedolim)
As regarding saying ‘thank you’ to the soldiers of the IDF- during protective edge -I personally went to the front lines with my son and distributed over a 1000 flashlights- paid for by myself- to all the soldiers there……I’m wondering how you’ve said “thank you” to our soldiers???
The headline says the soldier was “attacked,” but the rest of the article only says there was name-calling, but did not claim that anyone actually struck the soldier. We do not see any physical attack in the 27 second video either, just that there was name-calling. BTW, it’s quite a stretch to say that calling someone “Chardak” constitutes “a threat.”
I personally don’t advocate name-calling, but the Gadolhadora is advocating lawlessness. Opening fire or “breaking bones” in response to name-calling? Do you think police forces in U.S. cities when confronted by various perps, suspects, etc. should also respond to cat-calls and insults with live fire and bone breaking? It’s true that sometimes they do, and there are usually protests afterwards against police brutality, and sometimes lawsuits and suspensions from the force.
Gadol, do you realize that you are advocating anarchy? And I’ve noted that you’ve written similarly in the past. Letting individual off-duty soldiers (who BTW, generally are unarmed) legally retaliate against name-calling (I’m not justifying or advocating for that) by physical violence against the guys who couldn’t run away fast enough …. The actual name-callers are often mixed into the crowd. Are they all guilty in your eyes for “illegally congregating on the street” and they all deserve a bullet or a broken limb? Without due process of law? Are you out of your mind?
The simplest and smartest way to avoid the problem is for Chareidi soldiers not to appear in Geula/Meah Shearim in uniform. Let’s not get into an argument about if that’s the “right” way or not. It’s the “smart” way to avoid confrontations such as these.
BTW, I’m curious how many of these soldiers actually live in the area, who are compelled to return home from their bases in uniform. And how many are just showing up in a kiosk in Geula to cause a provocation. No one has ever looked into it. Remember the El Al business a few weeks ago?
Bottom line: if they don’t live there, don’t show up in uniform. The streets will be much quieter. Of course, then certain websites will have less to write about ….
Lealeh you sound like a very judgemental person yourself. BTW Chaim789 you don’t believe there is a Shomer yisroel? Your words sound like you dont believe Hashem could protect yidden instead of the army, then Why did you make it sound like soldiers do a better job outside than in shul davening, maybe they should takkeh stay in shul davening an learning and maybe we won’t have rockets flying over our heads. REB DON you are a tzadik! People don’t like the truth and they don’t want to hear it either.
….I also just serviced and polished the internals of the gun of a soldier friend of mine for free, who serves in Magav , and will be a the kosel on tisha’ B’av protecting those who daven……..
So let’s all stop being armchair zionists and let the gedolim decide what we daven and who should go to the army
> american_yerushalmi
You expect anyone rational to take your definition of physical assault and threats seriously? I was on a jury here in Canada and the judge made it clear that Assault requires no physical touching at all – simply blocking is legally assault. Here a wild mob (apparently nearly completely surrounding) and instigating hatred is somehow not assault? “Name calling” as you put it is tow guys in an office and one calling the other a name. This is a mob.
> american_yerushalmi
The Yitzhar incident was about Jews protecting themselves against Arabs invaders and the police stepped in the middle and caught a whack that was intended for the Arab.
> Reb Dons
As leahleh already responded I would add the possibility that without the safety valve of an organized Jewish institution to take these guys in, these guys could have gone all the way to Christianity or even join the Palestinians or ISIS.
> RighteousJudgement
As their Father hates such Hillul Hashem behaviour that they have shown, then they should also hate such behaviour. That they obviously don’t, it opens the question as to who they really are. By the way, speaking of Christianity, seeing as you brought it up, your argument of reading G-d’s mind and behaving according to your own feeling of what G-d wants is how the Christians rationalized all that they did. It is you argument that is Christian.
The situation is much like it is with people on this forum. Many of you have non-kosher phones and unrestricted internet (you tube etc) simply because you see other people who look frum and they have it, so it becomes the ‘norm’ and you have it too.
Similarly the frum people in Meah Shearim don’t want ‘frum looking’ people walking around their neighborhood in army uniforms until it becomes the norm in their children’s eyes……And I stress AGAIN I am not condoning what happened- although I can’t see it ‘cos it’s a link to UTube.
And Leahleh, Chaim 789, Gadolhadorah etc please don’t lecture me (with your blind adulation for anyone in a green tzahal uniform and hate for frum people and their rabbis ) about Hakoras HaTov for soldiers. I have more connection to elite combat soldiers in the IDF than you will ever have……..I train some of them!………
I really am looking not to add to machlokes. My intention is that if the chareidi community and the non-religious community, would each do a little to show respect and appreciation to the other, it would go a very long way.
As to riteousjudgement: the davening didn’t help all that much for the Jews who stayed in Europe in the last century. Zev Jabotinsky, while not religious, understood something that many of the Rabbis missed. My point is that both communities need and benefit from each other.
Chaim789, I could see that you dont talk like a person that has emunah in Hashem, gezeros could be changed through tefilah HOWEVER they CANNOT be changed absolutly in any way with an army, you are saying that religious and seculars should from each other, YOU ARE WRONG! we are not allowed to learn anything from evil doers(secular,apikorsim,etc) you are not even allowed to look at the face of an evil doer(al tistakel el Odom rosha) , your theories are just too far away from Judaism. Face it. Do teshuva.
Reb dons is there a way I could contact you, because it is so refreshing to find a erliche yid sounding guy like you , it’s really very hard to find people with the right haskofos.
So much misinformation posted…
1. There are many soldiers who have family members, parents & grandparents who live in Geulah/Meah Shearim that they come to visit. They are not looking to inflame or arouse the “extremist” residents.
2. baloney… that there concern is that their children will wish to emulate these soldiers. And is that why they destroy property & pelt police & fire men who enter the area cause their children might want to emulate their lifestyle. Baloney!!
3. Long discussion & quite a bit of different statistics whether young men/women become less religious/observant during their army years or fortify & strengthen themselves.
4. Every kehilla has extremist individuals… why? Who supports/encourages them, is a story of its own..
They are causing pain, anguish, property destruction to their neighbors & community with tires on fire, all night screaming & chasing normal religious tourists away from commercial centers. Storekeepers have complained that less tourists shop in the area. (Me, for sure!)
5. Reb Yoel z”l hashgafa or old yishuv attitudes to the state is completely non connected to these angry & hateful rallies & outbursts.
Good shabbos & may we join together next year in the Beis Hamikdosh