Comparing protests in Jerusalem and Tehran? No mention of the stone throwing on the part of the (Eda Haredit) orthodox at the police. An indignant opinion writer who is all over the place? Every so often Ynet loses its authority in the world of newsmaking. No more from this writer, please! He belongs in the Haaretz camp, a news agency I no longer read.

i think you dishonor the protesters in iran by this comparison for the following reasons: 1. iran protesters: non-violent, haredi protesters: violent 2. iran protests: rigged elections, haredi protests: opening a parking lot on saturday 3. haredim have built the prison that their youth are trapped in. i don't hate the orthodox, but it's hard to take them seriously when they desecrate shabbat to protest...the desecration of shabbat? if you want to tweet, walk on over to an internet cafe on ben yehuda. we won't stop you.

with fight for better life in autocrasy regime...Next U compare יזהר כהן‎ with Jacko??? Enough compare everything happen in Big World with some tiny cases in Small Israel.

Although I am secular, I have tried to be understanding of the Haredim in the past. Once upon a time, they had semi-valid grievances. But now they have crossed the line. They throw stones at police just like the Palestinians throw stones at soldiers. They set dumpsters on fire. They riot. Why? Because a parking lot is open on Saturday. They could have tried to address the issue in a non-violent manner. They could've started a petition. They could've met with the city council. But instead they rioted. These thugs are trying to impose a Taliban-style theocracy on the rest of us, and I think we've all had enough. The Government must implement a zero-tolerance policy. The police must be ordered to use all the means at their disposal to put a stop to this rioting. If the Haredim continue rioting, the government should seriously impose martial law in Jerusalem and have the IDF put a stop to this crap. If the Haredim want to behave like thugs, then we must treat them as thugs, and use whatever force is necessary to stop them.

Iranian protesters are being shot and beaten in the streets (and their own homes) for their freedom from religious zealotry. In Israel, the religious zealots are rioting for their right to shove their religious zealotry down their neighbors throats. The worst the Heradim have to fear is the kid glove treatment that the Israeli police are dishing out. Instead, the Israeli government should threaten these rioters with something that will really scare them - Require any rioter they arrest to do their 3 years army service and work for a living afterward. That will end this in a big hurry.

While I agree with much that the author writes; I must state that I do not believe that violence should ever be an option. Nir Barkat looked at all the options open to him. He has one of the least enviable jobs in the world, trying to keep calm between widely differing communities; he thought that the Carta parking lot was the best response. The "vigilantes" in Meah Shearim - I am purposely not saying the Hareidim - because I and my community are Hareidi, and would not think of having any part in demonstrations; (and for the most part we are talking about "problem" teens), thought otherwise. The vigilantes do have ways of communicating their feelings - first of all, many of them do have computer access; they have posters etc, but more importantly they have mouths and brains. This violence should never have been started, and now I look with interest at how it will resolve itself.

this article is ...to listen to a member of a family or state or in the world

it's quit the opposite the ultra orthodox behave like the religious Teheran by trying to force their religious ways on secular, so in other words he is not really connected to reality and the parking lot should stay open in Shabath, the Ultra orthodox don't use it anyway so why do they care what the seculars do. the orthodox make me sick.

Don't set the streets of Jerusalem on fire - and don't blame your inability to express yourself as a reason. This article is a complete and utter joke. The very nature of the Haredim forbids them from using the internet. But they still manage to sneak into college campuses and use the internets there. So, instead of going to knockers.com maybe they should do something more constructive with their 15 minutes of stolen internet use. When it suits them, they are forbidden, when they have the 'need', they manage to find an internet source. Yair Borochov is a complete and utter Idiot. An undercover policeman IS EXACTLY THAT, AND FOR THAT REASON!!! They are undercover to catch would be thugs, and that’s exactly what they did, nothing illegal about that. And if such brut force was used, the riots would have been over and done with in an hour, but the fact they lasted 48 hours plus, I’d say, is proof that not enough brut force was used by the security forces. Pity. Excessive force has to be used if it happens again. Smelly Haredim must not be allowed to ravage Jerusalem just because they don’t think a car lot should be open on Shabbat. I remember someone in the Ynet talkbacks being very smug and very happy that the parking lot was closed, for all of, ooooo let me see, 4days? before it was opened again. Can’t remember who, but whoever it was………………….who’s laughing now? Huh?

finally someone saying it as is, instead of just "chareidi bashing"

I don't know whether I should laugh about the idiocy of the author or be disgusted by what he writes. The "police brutality" is on a very different level, the reason for protest is on a completely different level. Because the means of protest by the Haredim are illegitimate, the police has the right to interfere. In Iran on the other hand the police acts absolutely illegitimate. If one really wants to draw a line between Iran and Jerusalem: In Iran they protest for freedom against religion in Jerusalem they want to limit freedom (in a minor case) for religion's sake.

B"H Usually those people keeping themselves busy with haredi bashing have no idea about haredi society whatsoever !!! The above article very much describes the present situation of the Haredim, and those who don't get it should start dealing with society.

Israel have near perfect conditions for observing Shabbat/Kasrut/etc. Fri-Sat is the weekend, streets in religious areas are closed for traffic, all major supermarkets are kosher, etc. Marriages are under control of ultra-religious, no army service are finincial support for yeshiva students. More then fair representation in knesset and local governoments. List goes on. Truly religious Jews should be happy to live in this country.. but haredim are refusing to even recognize it and rioting. Why? I am sorry, you can't stone people into believing on G-d. You can't protest to make people observe religous laws your way. You can get respect and support by showing none to others. Sooner haredim will realize this - longer their community will last.

Themselves.

Former Jerusalem police commander Mickey Levy, now retired from the department, did not refrain from releasing criticism regarding the stormy shabbos protests in the capital. He stated “someone fell asleep on their watch and did not assess the situation properly”. Levy told Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) that the chareidim are members of the city coalition, adding the municipal parking lot has been closed for the past 15 years, so why open it now. He points out that the municipal lot is not situated that close to the Old City, and opening the lot after 15 years of non-operation represents a serious violation of the city’s religious status quo. Levy believed if they would have opened Carta in the beginning, not mentioning the city’s municipal lot, it would have passed quietly, but this is not the case. He stated operating the municipal lot is a major error and the solution will only be reached through meetings and dialogue with the parties involved. Levy insists that if there was a proper dialogue in advance and officials gathered intelligence information as required, the decision would have been made not to operate the parking lot.

I am neither haredi nor Iranian, but to compare religious extremist rioters to the demonstrators in Teheran is about as low as you can sink.... those people in Teheran are fighting for their freedom, for their lives. What are the Haredi fighting for? A parking lot, and on a Shabbat? The lot is for all people in Jerusalem to use- and the religious people are trying to impose their ideas on people who do not have the same value and ideas about life. Isn't internet use forbidden too? Why Twitter? Why mobile phones? This is opportunism in the highest degree- and what the youngsters would probably tell the world is that they want to LIVE, like the real people, the writer might be totally surprised at what Twitter would do for them- liberate them...... so let's get them Twitter- free internet use.

The Iranians who are protesting gain sympathy and respect first and foremost because they are using peaceful means. They are protesting against the kinds of oppression in Iran that the Haredim here are trying to impose on others. The Iranians want a secular democracy, the freedom to dress as they like and live without fear. The Haredim are using the tactics of the iranian State -violence - and the removal of freedoms as they try to impose their way of life on everyone else. You can't get more opposite aims.

Orthodox have and use Twitter regularly (not on Shabbat).

the kid fell from a fence and hurt himself. A cop did not shoot him. Next week lets all riot together in support of this writer being fired. Thanks Ynet for waisting 5 mins of my life.

Comparing the Israeli security forces reaction against the recent Haredi demonstartions to those of the Iranian regim's, is disingenious and divisive in the very least. The anger and hatred seculars have towards haredim is a direct result of the haredim's religious coerscion, lack of patriotism, demand for financial support and failure to productively contribute society. The Haredim's excuse of being unable to be gainfully employed because of the need to study Torah so that G-d will protect the Jewish nation is out of touch with 21st century realities. Torah study, prayer and worship are fine. However, the Haredim need to make the time to hold down jobs to support their large families and contribute something tangible to society. They need to stop demanding hand outs. They are no more deserving of a hand out than any other needy Israeli citizen.

who had the guts to report both in Hebrew and English the disgusting bullying (still) going on by the dayan(im) in the TA rabbinical court. Rest of the media are too scared (except a hareidi type american website). We scour their articles, being tolerant and broad minded, and mostly find intelligent, interesting non offensive material.