Celebrity Chef Ruthy Russo Defends Haredi Man from Harasser

Israeli chef, culinary lecturer, and TV host Ruthy Russo recounted a disturbing incident at a Tel Aviv cafe where she witnessed a customer verbally assault a Haredi man with whom she had a meeting. Russo intervened, defending the Haredi man against the aggressor's discriminatory remarks.

Russo described the encounter on her social media, stating she "screamed at someone in a cafe" and couldn't recall ever yelling at a stranger with such intensity. She contrasted the experience with a recent positive visit to the Haredi city of Bnei Brak, where she felt welcomed despite her own differing background.

The man she was meeting, a Haredi entrepreneur, had arrived at the cafe first. Another customer began shouting at the cafe staff, questioning if they had hired a "supervisor" and then directly confronting the Haredi man. The aggressor claimed he knew the man wasn't "from my camp" based on his appearance and accused him, attributing blame to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Russo, while acknowledging Netanyahu's responsibility for various issues, firmly stated he was not responsible for the "violent and arrogant" behavior of the man who attacked and humiliated a stranger. She expressed pride in Tel Aviv as a "liberal and inclusive city" and felt the aggressor's actions not only harmed the Haredi community but also tarnished the city and its residents.

The incident left Russo feeling both angry and ashamed, prompting her strong defense of the Haredi man and her condemnation of the unwarranted hostility he faced.