Journalist Chaim Cohen warned that unless police and their superiors take responsibility for the escalating situation with Haredi protesters, the unrest will 'end in blood.' Cohen said he is aware of planned steps within the Haredi public, adding that the matter is no longer confined to the 'Jerusalem faction' alone, according to a Telegram post.
Journalist Chaim Cohen issued a stark warning Wednesday morning, saying the escalating police-Haredi standoff could turn deadly. In a Telegram post, Cohen wrote that he is 'aware of several moves being planned in the Haredi public' and that the unrest is no longer limited to the Jerusalem faction. 'The event is escalating, and if the police don't disconnect from this political event, it will end in blood — that's my opinion. Better to stop now than to complain later.'
The warning follows a series of confrontations in recent days, including road blockades and police dispersal operations involving Haredi protesters, largely over military conscription and arrest policies. As The Zioneer reported earlier this week, MKs and commentators from across the spectrum have accused police of selective and violent enforcement. Senior police officials, meanwhile, have defended the use of force as proportionate, while also privately urging a halt to proactive arrests of Haredi draft evaders to cool tensions.
Cohen's statement comes without an on-record police response. His warning — and its reference to planned moves — represents a sharper public escalation of rhetoric from within the Haredi community itself, beyond the activist and political figures who have been vocal in recent days.
- StrongJournalist Yishai Cohen accuses police of selective, violent enforcement against Haredi protesters
- DevelopingShas MK Yoav Ben-Tzur accuses police of selective enforcement against Haredi protesters
- DevelopingSenior police sources defend use of force against Haredi protesters, say blocking major road crossed red line
- StrongNew footage shows police beating Haredi protesters with batons at Jerusalem demonstration
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