Dozens of Haredim in Beit Shemesh clash with police officers
A video depicts a combative atmosphere in the city of Beit Shemesh; police officers who came to arrest a suspect in a criminal case encountered an angry mob calling them 'Nazis,' blocking their way and confronting them; only one person was arrested in the incident.
In a video of the disturbances that was obtained by Ynet, the residents can be seen gathering around the police officers, fighting them and blocking the road. In addition, the residents hurled slurs at the policemen and for many minutes called them "Nazis."
The police said that the residents of the area attacked the policemen and the cruisers, and in addition to person they had initially intended to arrest that, an ultra-Orthodox demonstrator was also detained on suspicion of disturbing the peace.
This is the second attack on police officers this week in Beit Shemesh. Two ultra-Orthodox residents attacked police officers who went undercover as soldiers as part of an operation to arrest assailants of soldiers in the city.
The policemen walked in the street disguised as Military Police soldiers. A short while later, residents gathered around them and shouted abuse at them, and two of them even physically assaulted them. At this point, undercover policemen who were dressed in Haredi garb jumped the two assailants and arrested them.
In addition, on the same day, a police cruiser was attacked in the Mea Shearim neighborhood of Jerusalem. When the police arrived, the ultra-Orthodox began to gather in the area, throw stones and objects at the patrol car and even called the police "Nazis." There were no casualties and no damage was done.
(Translated and edited by N. Elias)
