The soldier effigy
Photo: Chaim Goldberg
Haredim burn soldier effigy during Jerusalem anti-draft protest
Haredi anti-draft protwesters riot in Jerusalem, damaging city property and burning effigy of IDF soldier, as well as copies of the draft-supportive Haredi daily Yated Ne'eman.
Dozens of Haredim rioted Tuesdat in the vicinity of Jerusalem's Strauss Street in protest of the forced enlistment of yeshiva students to the IDF.
Hard-line demonstrators damaged a traffic light and burned an effigy dressed as an IDF soldier, as well as copies of Haredi daily Yated Ne'eman, which supports the draft.
Yated Ne'eman copies burned (Photo: Chaim Goldberg)
One of the protesters, Meir Yakobovitch, said Jerusalem needs to be "free" of the newspaper, seeing it as a backer of an oppressive process that distances yeshiva students from the world of Torah.
Commenting on the incident, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman tweeted, "If Mea Shearim thinks they can deter us from striving for equitable service for all sectors in the country, they are mistaken."
The soldier effigy (Photo: Chaim Goldberg)
Earlier this month, an effigy of a Haredi IDF Paratrooper was hung from a rooftop in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Mea Shearim. After police removed the offensive effigy, two more were hung, and were also removed.
Police say that the dummy was soaked in flammable liquid, and it seems the plan was to ignite it later in the day.
Last year, the same thing happened. When police came to remove the hanging figure, they were greeted by a mob and clashes broke out. Police needed a crane to remove the effigy.
The traffic light (Photo: Chaim Goldberg)
Tensions have been on the rise since last year the High Court of Justice made a majority ruling canceling an amendment ratified by the Knesset almost two years ago to the Conscription Law which lowered the annual quota on the number of Haredim required to draft into the IDF.
Since then, representatives of Israel's ultra-Orthodox community gave an ultimatum to reinstate the legislation or one similar to it—an ultimatum which nearly resulted in the dissolution of the government.
