Litzman and Deri
Photo: Alex Kolomoisky
Litzman, Deri refuse to condemn Haredi protests
After leaders of ultra-Orthodox parties refuse to issue joint statement distancing themselves from anti-Conscription Law protests by radical Jerusalem Faction, prominent Haredim break their silence, slamming the 'empty and reckless.'
Chairman of the United Torah Judaism party Yaakov Litzman has refused to sign a joint declaration with Haredi parties condemning repeated disruptive demonstrations staged by the radical Haredi Jerusalem Faction over the Conscription Law and has forbidden members of his party from doing so.
Following suit, Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri also prohibited his party members from putting their signature to the declaration which has consequently been shelved for the time being.
For months, ultra-Orthodox politicians, rabbis and mainstream Haredi media outlets have remained mute about the protests, which are characterized by blocking main roads for hours on end and often include violence skirmishes with the police.
(צילום: אלכס קולומויסקי)
While the Jerusalem Faction is considered a fringe group which is not representative of the mainstream Haredi community, none of the latter’s representatives have taken action to distance themselves from the protesters actions.
Straying from the trend and breaking his silence, one of the leaders of the mainstream Haredi sector, Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky published a letter castigating members of the Jerusalem Faction, labelling them as “empty and reckless.”
(Photo: Yoav Dudkevitch)
On Monday, United Torah Judaism decided during its weekly meeting to convene a press conference or issue a written statement on the matter which was supposed to be joined by Shas.
In an unprecedented statement by the Haredi representatives—including members of the Lithuanian Faction, which opposes the demonstrations, an Ashkenazi Haredi party, and several ultra-Orthodox MKs including United Torah Judaism’s Moshe Gafni—a number of leading members of the sector came out swinging against the disruptive protests.
“The protests that have recently taken place cause great damage to the world of Torah, to the Haredi world and to God’s name,” the statement read.
Unambiguously repudiating the demonstrators and their actions, the signatories went on to say that “Neither we nor the people we represent have anything to do with this—not the way or the initiative of these protests.”
(Photo: Yoav Dudkevitch)
Adding that they were determined to ensure that Yeshiva students would be able to continue to study, they also condemned the skirmishes which had erupted with security personnel.
Citing a recent example of when “youths dressed in Haredi garb clashed” with security personnel in what they described as “a shameful way,” the representatives insisted “this group does not represent at all the Haredi public or us as public representatives and we condemn in the strongest possible terms this kind of behavior.”
It concluded by thanking and praising the security personnel for their “daily work,” saying they hope they and their families “have a pleasant day.”
Activists belonging to the mainstream Lithuanian stream have also sought to distance themselves from the fringe groups by launching a counter-campaign involving the naming and shaming of prominent members.
In addition to blocking main roads, on some occasions they have engaged in violence, have burnt effigies of Haredi IDF soldiers, attacked Haredi soldiers and disseminated explicit incitment to violence against IDF soldiers.
