JERUSALEM (JTA) — A haredi Orthodox soldier was attacked by dozens of haredi rioters in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Mea Shearim.
The soldier, a resident of central Israel who was visiting the haredi Orthodox enclave to visit relatives, hid in a nearby building where he changed into civilian clothes and called police for help, Ynet reported Tuesday.
The attack came two days after Israel’s Knesset approved a proposal to draft haredi Orthodox men into the Israeli military.
“Another IDF soldier was attacked today by dozens of ultra-Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem,” Israeli Finance Minister Yair Lapid said in a post on Facebook. “This is intolerable and we do not will suffer it.
“I call on the leaders of the ultra-Orthodox political parties condemn the violent attacks and incitement against the IDF without reservations, without offering reasons and without any justifications.”
Lapid added that violence against Israeli soldiers “is a direct threat to the State of Israel and we will treat it.”
Aryeh Deri, head of the Sephardi haredi Shas party, condemned the attack.
“I’m appalled of the deeds of extremist teens who shamelessly hurt a Jewish soldier,” he said.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
