but don't let that stop all the knee-jerk reactions against the chareidim

Thankyou for confirmong that you do not live in Israel and retain a second passport for when you force my country to go belly up. I notice you have not answered my accusation that you have a second passport and are keeping your options open whilst supporting the talibanisation of Israel. If you are such an Israeli patriot why aren't you living here and leading the fight from the front? Oh you might not agree with them but Neturei Karta are Jews, they believe that Israel will be recreated by god not man in fact they are probably more Jewish than you who chooses to live in Manhatten not Israel

Israel is not "a country where women must dfress modestly!!!" there are areas of major cities and some towns of a religious character where the majority are haredim and therefore one should, out of respect, dress accordingly when in such areas. This woman had a long dress - she didn't say whether her arms were also covered - and obviously felt she was dressed appropriately. Even if she'd gone in shorts and a halter top, stoning is not the answer!! If these haredim really wanted to make a point they should have approached her and pointed out her (in their eyes) disrespectful attire. the minute even one small stone is hurled, or a woman is spat on , haredim have lost their cause. If no. 5 is haredi, he is as disgusting as the those in the article - what a stupid suggestion - move to an arab country. In fact the h aredim might feel more comfortable in Teheran where they have modesty police there too.

the best solution?That s exactly what these hooligans want.

Religion does not order any of those things which are of course disturbing behavioural problems, endemic mind you, among the secular population. Only a fool would suggest religion orders stoning for immodestly dressed people or spitting at young girls! When religion does order the stoning of a person is for those arrogant sinners who rebel against their hallowed traditions and publicly violate the Sabbath by driving their cars among Jews. And what happens? They get away with mere “insults”! Woe to them and woe to their ancestors. How can a Jew see another Jew drive their car on the Sabbath and not react? Yet, in this day in age: Shouting and insulting – yes. Throwing and assaulting – no. You see, Israelis are very impatient. When my family was getting into a taxi in Jerusalem, it was not long before another car pulled up behind and within a few seconds stared hooting impatiently. Appalled by his inconsiderate behaviour, unusual in London, as I got inside the taxi, I motioned to the car behind, placing my finger over my mouth – as if to say shush. No sooner had I done so, he swerved in front of our taxi and hurled a string of insults and curses at me. Surprised and offended, how did I console myself? By thinking, nu – that’s secular mentality for you. The mentally Charles and his ilk never complain about.

I am both a citizen of the United States and of Israel. I have both a United States passport and an Israeli passport. Here's a news flash: there are a great many Israelis that have two passports -- probably at least half. Do you despise them, too?Moreover, we maintain homes in the United States and in Israel. I live in Israel six months of the year. What is your problem? What did you do in the IDF? Did you even serve your country, or have you always "led the fight" from your armchair? The Neturei Karta are viciously anti-Zionist while unconscionably living off the very government whose existence they deny. That makes them hypocrites. They petition the king of Jordan for permission to pray at the Kotel. They visit Iran and participate in anti-Zionist fora everywhere in the world. They are waiting for Messianic delivery of Israel -- nothing else will suffice. If you consider them to be Jews, then you're pretty suspect yourself.

In Israel religion is just a pissing contest. No where does it say that you have to make everyone around you more religious. Believe what you want but don't harm other human beings for not believing what you do. Foolish excuses for men these people.

Well, you see, we're not talking about secular mentality here. We're talking about extreme haredi behaviour. There is plenty to be fixed and improved in Israeli society. One of the first is to make military service compulsory for all haredim with exemptions only on the same basis as exemptions for seculars. No way should these haredim allowed to study full time in the yeshivot until they'd done their military service. the old excuse that theyare working on the soul of the nation just doesn't wash with sane-thinking people.

Very weel said, Sarah B nemesis. I am tired of these double-passport holders that come to my country to give opinions with this sense of authority as if they were the owners of the country.. Just take your American passport and live. You didn't work on swamps in the Yishuv, you didn't fight any wars, you didn't face any hardship in our community.. You just came, bought a house and now that the dinner is served you feel entitled to give opinions that just bring us harm and destruction... leave.. Go back. Let us live our lifes as any normal country.

we have pedophiles and homosexuals in the haradi world its all covered up and then it comes out with these attacks on women. only a pervert can do a thing like this. normal israeli men would not ever do such a thing religious or otherwise. babies in the car too.i am so disgusted with them and so are most people in israel. where the hell are their rabbinim???

This is a multicultura country. There is space for every one here. Religious, fundamentlists, communists, leftists, etc. This is a democracy. You can choose a neighbourhood and just be happy. If this lady did not wanted to be harassed she should have bought her stuff in Tel Aviv. The religious are decent and honest people. They pay taxes and they have right to voice their believes.

Did you clear swamps in the Yishuv, Kobi? Somehow, I doubt it. My husband is Israeli. His great-grandfather helped build a city out of sand dunes. It's called Tel Aviv. He's lost five members of his family in Israel's wars. I served in the IDF -- did you? Somehow, I doubt it -- you talk the talk, but you don't walk the walk. And I have a sneaking suspicion that you hold two passports. By the way -- not to put too fine a point on it, but I pay more in taxes to Israel in one year than you will earn in your lifetime. Or doesn't that count? I guess only clearing swamps in the Yishuv, like you -- guffaw -- matters. Sit down, give your tired old brain a rest.

Ruth, these are Neturei Karta. Their rabbis are virtually guaranteed to be worse than they are -- probably even the driving force behind them. I think the Neturei Karta should be expelled from Israel, lock, stock and barrel. They are not Jews. They do not recognize the State of Israel. They are complete leeches that live off everyone else's hard work, and they breed like rabbits. I have no problem with the Lubavitch -- they are normal and don't hurt anyone -- but I despise the Neturei Karta and the Satmer. They are not Jews.

Most of the charedim are decent people. The Neturei Karta are not, and Beit Shemesh is pretty much all Neturei Karta. I do not blame the victim for having chosen to shop there for a stroller -- Beit Shemesh is probably the stroller capital of the world. The Neturei Karta have no right to dictate who comes and goes in a country that they do not even recognize. I personally consider them a far greater threat to Israel than any Moslem or Arab state.

"They pay taxes" Umm.. You must be joking, right? Actually, the majority of the Orthodox does NOT pay any taxes, but in fact takes a lot of taxes away from the rest of the hard-working population!

This throwing of stones .That Israelis are impatients , yes . ALL of them , secular , religious and charidim . Look only at the charidim who can't walk , but always RUN . It's nobody's business if a person drives his car 'on shabbat . Woe to those who can't accept this . Why should i have to accept people going around in their black clothes , with a stramel on their head ? If you don't like Israeli impatient people , stay in your london , as i said it already , we have more than enough "rotten apples" here .

Dear Madeleine, thank you for admitting that there is a lot to fix in Israeli society. I am aghast and astounded that you list one of the first is to draft haredim into the army. I can tell you now, that is the one of the last things needed to fix Israeli society – and I mean that seriously. (And there I was thinking it was the haredim who live in a bubble.) In Russia, the military conscription all but destroyed an Orthodox future of religious Jewish youths; I am sure a stint in the anti-religious framework of the Zionist militia would be just as corrupting, if not more. I guess that is why the non-haredi lobbyists are so insistent they join, they want to divest haredi recruits from their “extreme” beliefs. Just look at the uproar over what happened when some hesder boys didn’t want to violate kol isha at an army event. This list goes on and on. The Israeli army is just not the place for a nice Jewish boy – it would ruin him. Zionist secular society, thrust unwillingly upon the haredi yishuv in the 1920s and onwards, proves enough of a challenge to them, without being plunged into its coarse military heart as well. You are all against “religious coercion” – but what about your secular coercion? Forcing religious people to forsake their sacred full-time Torah studies to defend a state they did not want nor ask for? Very few other Western countries demand conscription – why should Israel be different? Oh I forgot – the dream turned sour and the state meant to solve all problems has been at war since its birth. What an achievement! Why should religious people want to be part of that? They pray for peace, not war. I doubt they would want to help prop up a state needing to involve itself in one every few years. This is not the return to Zion Jews over the centuries have been hoping for.

When you risk to be agressed , every day , by those guys , would you stay there ? Agressed for not walking on the correct side , for not having modest "enough" clothes , or for not following other of their "rules" . Not the best solution to leave ? do you have a better one ?

"beth Shemesh is pretty much all netoure karta" you wrote . This again shows your IGNORANCE . It's NOT true . The problems occur in ONE street i was told by a religious inhabitant of this town . I know another charidi person , also from Beth Shemesh , who condemn those acts .

Why can charidim abroad work and study ? I had "belzer chassidim" as colleagues . And they studied after and before going to work . If the charidim don't want this state , why are they coming to live here and take avantage of it ?

Neturei Karta constitute the vast majority of charedi Jews in Beit Shemesh. You are the ignorant one. Perhaps your caregiver can wheel you out of your cage in Petach Tiqva every now and again; take you for a nice little drive to Beit Shemesh. No worries -- plenty of stores where you can buy diapers.

who will tell them that the free houses will be hired to the kind of people they would hate to have as neighbours

Beit Shemesh is pretty much all Neturei Karta.. You wrote . Now you say that the vast majority of Charedi Jews in Beth Shemesh are netoure karta . Not at all true . Google beth shemesh . It's only a part of Ramat Beth Shemesh that is Ultra orthodox , and a minority of them are "sikarim" those who create the problems . Ask your mom to clean your tachat , and nose . We can smell your stinky lies everywhere . Again sad that your sbarro story was a lie .

Work? All I talked about was army conscription. The majority of the haredim we are talking about are either descendants of the original yishuv or are from Holocaust refugees who had nowhere else to go. Haredim are attracted particularly to the Land of Israel for its intrinsic holiness – whether under Tukish, British or Zionist rule. They will live and thrive in their Holyland under whichever state will tolerate them. If the anti-Torah Israelis have had enough, they can follow the path of their European predecessors and resort to expelling them. All Israelis may be impatient, but only the secular will resort to a mouthful of obscene curses for such a mild gesture. Compare that with the capital crime of Sabbath violation. Such a major infraction of Jewish law and all your get is a hurl of insults? If I get abuse for merely raising my finger over my mouth to stop incessant hooting as we try to get in a taxi, you should be severely beaten unconscious for profaning the Sabbath. It is 100 times more offensive for a Jew to see another “Jew” be mechalel Shabbat. So you should count yourself lucky the hardeim do not emulate their secular compatriots and give a mild response for such a major offense.

There are most likely not many sane people who will rent or buy a house there . Do you think i would ?

for free for a limited time to a group of dangerous looking actors,and tell the hooligans,that they have many friends who are waiting for more free houses. Charles,Jerusalem is my place and i hope that i can stay here until 120. And you if you are happy in PT,why should you go to Bet Shemesh?

In our Capital , Yeroushalaim . Even for free not many people will go to live there .

they can be drafted in the IDF and study [ if you can call this study ] after their army service . I have'nt seen any law in Israel that forbids driving a car on shabbat . Next saturday we will have a fine meal in a Tel Aviv restaurant . I prefer the "white meat" above the mussels or schrimps my friends and family like . I have eaten them during a stay in Europe , you need to taste this food . Regarding food , the only thing you achieve is feeding seculars with more anti religious feelings . A great job , thank you very much .