Haredi “mob” attacks Israeli officers in anger over conscription

A group of ultra-Orthodox Haredi Jews attacked and injured two high-ranking Israeli army officers on Monday evening, local media reported. The incident came amid outrage over plans to recruit young ultra-Orthodox Jews into the army.

Major General David Zini, head of the Training Command and the General Staff Corps, and Brigadier General Shay Tayeb, head of the Ground Forces’ personnel department, were in the ultra-Orthodox area of ​​Bnei Brak to discuss recruiting young locals for the army.

Because of their status as religious students, the ultra-Orthodox are effectively exempt from military service – much to the annoyance of secular Israelis, who are required to do military service.

The Supreme Court had previously ruled that the government must begin recruiting young ultra-Orthodox Jewish men for the army. At the same time, leading representatives of the Jewish community said they would oppose the draft.

Zini and Shay were in a Tel Aviv suburb with Rabbi David Leybel, who works to integrate ultra-Orthodox Jews into the workplace, when they were surrounded by a group of men who called them “murderers” and threw bottles at their car. Walla reported.

Many in the crowd reportedly belonged to a group of ultra-Orthodox extremist activists who strongly oppose conscription and had banded together to resist the visit.

Shas, a party that represents mainly ultra-Orthodox Jews of Middle Eastern origin and opposes conscription, condemned the attacks on the three men and said they did not reflect the views of the majority of ultra-Orthodox Jews.

Housing Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf of the Haredi United Torah Judaism party also distanced himself from the group, although he has clear views on the issue.

“There is no place for acts of violence that are completely contrary to our holy Torah,” Goldknopf tweeted loudly The Times of Israel.

“His ways are ways of joy and all his paths are peace,” he added, quoting a proverb.

The Israeli military is currently in talks with the heads of yeshivas (Jewish seminaries) to recruit some of their students, especially those who have dropped out of their studies.

The military is also considering forming another Haredi unit within the army that could meet the religious requirements of recruits.

Some Haredi rabbis urged students to ignore calls for their recruitment into the army and to boycott conscription.