Residents of cities near Bnei Brak are planning to carry out a counter-protest against the wave of Chareidi protests against the draft by creating a deliberate traffic jam on the roads leading to Bnei Brak on Erev Shabbos, blocking access to the city.
The protesters, frustrated with highway closures and weekly traffic jams caused by Chareidi protests (mainly by Peleg Yerushalmi), plan to drive slowly at the roads leading to Bnei Brak on Friday, between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Rabbanim in Bnei Brak have reportedly contacted the protest leaders and urged them to drop the plan, which could affect hundreds of thousands of residents.
“We answered them that the responsibility for the damage lies with the extremist Charedim who are carrying out the blockages,” the organizers told Walla.
According to Walla, the protest leaders say that they expect the protest to be well-attended. “Entire families intend to come, and there are also couples who will arrive in separate cars.”
The organizers of the protest say that the failure of Israel Police to prevent the blockages led them to conclude that the only way to bring about change is “to transfer the pressure inward into the Charedi community itself, and precisely at the time when the impact is felt the most.”
However, the organizers stress that they do not intend to harm the religious way of life. “We know that Chareidim are also in our groups,” they say. “We ask them to convey the message to residents to leave their homes early on Friday. We do not want Shabbat desecration.”
They emphasized that they are not part of any political protest. “We are not the Kaplan protest,” they clarify. “We are neighbors, ordinary citizens, who want to get home safely. We are fed up with the repeated disruptions.”
In conclusion, they said, “There is an understanding that a focused and high‑quality civil protest is needed, which will put an end to this chaos.”
In response to the threats, the Bnei Brak municipality announced on Thursday that police and municipal patrol forces will be positioned at key points leading into the city as Shabbos approaches.
“Police forces and the municipal patrol will be stationed along the relevant routes to assist residents, maintain public order, and ensure a smooth and safe entry into the city,” the statement from the municipality said.
To minimize delays, the public is encouraged to arrive earlier on Friday and plan their travel times ahead of Shabbos.
(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
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10 Responses
עם עקש תתפתל
The Charedim should counter the counter protest
1 – Block them from arriving to Bnei Brak
2 – For those who made it to Bnei Brak, Block them from leaving the whole Shabbos, place shabbos tables and invite them to seudas shabbos on the spot
Let’s see the if Zionist “Police” use their Gestapo tactics and severely beat these secular protesters as they do against Jewish religious protesters.
the wars of the jews. very sad.
Completely get them.
No one wants to constantly be stuck in traffic for HOURS no matter what the reason. And definitely not every other day. I fully understand the reasons behind the protests but I definitely see the other side as well. I think most people would have a similar response..
We can stop paying the arnona tax, and give that to yeshivos, if all the charedim stopped in once to pay arnona tax, can they take every single person, or they will come to town for another “chaps’em”
We can also make new landlords
They can’t treat us like horse
The reality is that secular Israelis see Frum Jews as being in the same class as Palestinian terrorists.
Peleg Yerushalmi you’re causing major chillul Hashem with these road blockages. It’ll be sad for the rest of the Bnai Brak citizenry when the boomerang will be circling back to bite all of you.
akuperma:
No, they see them as much worse than terrorists and have said so publicly. Leah Rabin said she’d rather her kid marry a savage than a chareidi.
Harrry:
Do you have any clue where are and what are the halachos of chilul Hashem, given that you are applying that halachic concept to their actions?
I thought of writing that people would understand the protest if the wicked Zionists would be forcing them into gas chambers rather than into their shmad army. But, the sad truth is, many would likely still not understand the reason for protest even then, because the idol is the idol.
According to the Torah, forcing them into their shmad army is even worse, as chazal tell us gadol haMachtio min haHorgo.
It’s hard to achieve “achdus” when there’s literally zero in common between different groups of Jews. You have those who love and breathe Torah and you have those who call for its eradication. And then you have those in the middle that sometimes respect it and sometimes say it should be put aside for “more important things”. Not sure what’s more important rashi says that’s what the world was exclusively created for