Shas leader Aryeh Deri sharply criticized police conduct during a Haredi protest in Bnei Brak, accusing officers of using violence against Torah students. In a statement, Deri called on National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to immediately halt what he described as unjustified police aggression.
Shas party chairman Aryeh Deri issued a sharp statement Wednesday morning condemning police conduct toward Haredi protesters in Bnei Brak. Deri wrote directly to National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir: "Wake up! It cannot be that what the police did not do in Kaplan Square against anarchists who sought to destroy the state, it now does against citizens who cry out that they have been turned into criminals only because they study Torah."
Deri acknowledged his own opposition to the protests but said he cannot stand by in the face of "this severe injustice and violence." He called on Ben-Gvir to act immediately and stop police violence against "sons of Torah."
The incident comes amid a broader wave of tensions between Israel's Haredi community and police over draft enforcement and protest handling. As The Zioneer reported Sunday, police declared a previous Haredi protest illegal and moved to disperse participants. Earlier this week, opposition leader Yair Golan also criticized police conduct, stating that "Ben-Gvir's police have lost restraint."
No police or ministerial response to Deri's statement has been reported so far.
2 developments
- DevelopingPolice commissioner backs officers who broke up Highway 4 protest, days after Ben Gvir letter
- DevelopingShas chairman Deri slams Ben Gvir: 'Wake up' — police act against Torah learners, not anarchists
- DevelopingHaredi protesters accuse Minister Ben Gvir of police violence in signs
- DevelopingHaredi protest on Highway 4 ends, two arrested, officer lightly injured
Source and signal
- Open-source intake