Police on Sunday rescued two female IDF soldiers from the ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Brak near Tel Aviv after a disturbance erupted when residents believed they had arrived to deliver military draft notices.
The IDF said the soldiers were not military police and had been in the area as part of welfare-related duties.
Police rescue female soldiers from Haredi mob in Bnei Brak
(Video: David Keshet)
Video from the scene showed hundreds of ultra-Orthodox men surrounding the soldiers as they were rushed away, while garbage bins were overturned and scattered across the street.
During the clashes, protesters overturned a police patrol car and set a police motorcycle on fire. Israel Police Commissioner Danny Levy was briefed on the incident.
The crowd gathered after an alert circulated through the “Black Color” hotline, an anti-draft call center, claiming military police had come to serve a conscription order to a family.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the incident, saying, "I strongly condemn the violent riots in Bnei Brak against IDF soldiers and Israel Police officers. This is an extreme minority that does not represent the entirety of Haredi society. "This is a serious and unacceptable thing. We will not allow anarchy, and we will not tolerate any harm to IDF and security forces personnel who do their jobs with dedication and determination
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett called the incident “anarchy” and said that a “bright red line” had been crossed. “We will not allow harm to our soldiers. We will restore governance to Israel,” he said.
Opposition figures also denounced the unrest. Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot said it was painful that soldiers who had previously assisted residents during the COVID-19 crisis were now attacked, and called for a comprehensive draft law requiring service for all. Benny Gantz, head of Blue and White, described the images as a “moral low point” and urged police to prosecute those involved.
Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman called the events a “national disgrace,” saying anyone who assaults soldiers should face the full force of the law.
Members of the coalition also condemned the incident. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said: “I strongly condemn the small anarchist and violent group that attacked female soldiers, injured police officers and set a police motorcycle on fire in Bnei Brak. These are serious, criminal and unforgivable acts, and anyone who raises a hand against IDF soldiers or Israel Police officers will pay a heavy price.
“At the same time, it is important for me to clarify: this does not represent the entire ultra-Orthodox public. The vast majority of the ultra-Orthodox community is law-abiding, respects the security forces and is not part of this violence. A small extremist minority must not stain an entire community. I wish a speedy recovery to the injured officer, embrace the soldiers who stood bravely against the attack and fully back the Israel Police acting decisively to restore order.”
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir issued a sharp response. “I view with severity and strongly condemn the attack on IDF soldiers who carried out a military mission earlier today in Bnei Brak,” he said. “Any harm to IDF soldiers by Israeli civilians is a serious crossing of a red line and the attackers must be dealt with firmly. I expect the law to be fully enforced against them.”