Two days after the riot in Bnei Brak, during which a police scooter was set on fire amid the rescue of two female soldiers, police on Tuesday presented new phylacteries, or tefillin, to the officer whose pair was burned in the incident.
Tefilin and prayer book that were damaged in the fire
(Video: Israel Police)
The unrest erupted during clashes in the city with extremist ultra-Orthodox protesters, when the police scooter was torched. According to a police statement, the scooter contained the officer’s tefillin, a prayer book and his personal cellphone — all of which were damaged in the fire.
The order to purchase new tefillin and a new phone was given by Police Commissioner Danny Levy and Tel Aviv District Commander Cmdr. Haim Sargarof. The tefillin were presented to the officer Tuesday in the presence of the Dan Region and the Bnei Brak–Ramat Gan station commanders, along with the district rabbi and representatives of the municipal policing unit.
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Tefillin and siddur burned in arson attack on a police motorcycle at an ultra-Orthodox demonstration in Bnei Brak
(Photo: Israel Police)
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The new tefillin and siddur presented to the police officer whose scooter was set on fire in Bnei Brak
(Photo: Israel Police)
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Presentation of new tefillin to a police officer whose police scooter was set on fire in Bnei Brak
(Photo: Israel Police)
Police said an investigation is underway to identify suspects involved in the arson and stressed that they view the incident with severity. It was also decided that the officer will be provided with a replacement vehicle in the coming period instead of the scooter that was burned.
The unrest broke out on Sunday when two female soldiers were rescued from the ultra-Orthodox city by police after a large crowd gathered around them. The crowd had been told that the soldiers, who were conducting a welfare-related home visit as part of their IDF duties, had arrived to distribute draft notices. One police officer was injured during the riot and the mob overturned a police cruiser.