Ulpan Leil Shishi panel examines police violence, Shas tactics, and stalled draft legislation

A weekly panel on Israel’s Channel 14-style “Ulpan Leil Shishi,” hosted by Yishai Cohen, reviewed a particularly turbulent week in Haredi politics and public life. The guests, Hanani Breitkof, Eli Hirshman, Tzuri’el Krispel, and Avi Greenzweig, focused on tensions between the police, Haredi protesters, and the political leadership representing ultra-Orthodox parties.

The first major issue was police violence at Haredi demonstrations on Highway 4. Video clips showing officers kicking a protester in the head triggered a sharp response from Police Commissioner Daniel Levy, who demanded all footage from the scene and suspended one officer from operational duty. The panel debated whether the institutional response was adequate and what lay behind the unusually harsh treatment of Haredi demonstrators.

The discussion then turned to the political fallout, including the clash between Shas chairman Aryeh Deri and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. The panel examined whether the public condemnations by Haredi party leaders were principled objections to police conduct or part of a broader political struggle, especially amid criticism from the opposition.

Another central topic was the collapse of the daycare subsidy bill, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this week he could not pass because he lacked a majority, despite repeated threats from United Torah Judaism. The panel also addressed Deri’s proposed “arrests law,” a temporary bill that would freeze the arrest of Torah students for one year. The guests assessed whether it could win Knesset support, survive judicial review, and truly halt arrests, or whether it was mainly a campaign-season message to Haredi voters.