IDF Spokesperson Calls Haredi Protesters 'Rioters' After Failed Arrest
Translated & summarized from JDN by baba
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- IDF Spokesperson called Haredi protesters 'rioters' during a failed arrest.
- Hundreds of Haredi students blocked military police from arresting a yeshiva student.
- The IDF condemned attempts to disrupt soldiers' duties and vowed continued enforcement.
- The failed arrest near elections has raised concerns about political interference.
- Protesters asserted they were exercising their democratic right to protest.
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit on Tuesday described Haredi yeshiva students who gathered to protest a military police arrest attempt in Modi'in as "rioters." Brigadier General Efi Dofin stated that the assembled individuals acted in an organized manner to disrupt the military police's operation, prevent an arrest, and endanger soldiers. The IDF spokesperson's statement claimed that Israeli police arrived to restore order and disperse the gathering, which faced significant resistance and disruption of security forces' activities. The IDF "strongly condemns any attempt to interfere with or harm its soldiers while they are performing their duties," adding that enforcement would continue "equitably and according to authority."
The IDF did not specify the outcome of the operation. Earlier, military police attempted to arrest a yeshiva student in Modi'in overnight. Following an alert, hundreds of yeshiva students arrived and blocked the building's exit. Police forces were dispatched to extract the soldiers, who eventually left without making the arrest. The operation, occurring weeks before the 26th Knesset elections and after a period without proactive arrests, raises questions about potential political involvement in military decision-making.
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