Arad tensions erupt into clashes as ultra-Orthodox protests and roadblocks escalate

Long-running friction between Arad’s ultra-Orthodox and secular residents flared again on Wednesday, when confrontations and brawls broke out across the city after Haredi protests against military draft orders for yeshiva students and the road closures that accompanied them. Mayor Yair Maayan said police would keep operating in the city in reinforced numbers over the coming days, and after meeting Southern District Police Commander Haim Bublil in the morning, he gave full backing to the officers and asked for additional reinforcements to prevent further deterioration.

The latest unrest began at the start of the week, when Haredi demonstrations and roadblocks at the city entrance angered secular residents who said they were barred from reaching their homes and that daily life was disrupted. Maayan had already asked police to act against the blockages, while also urging residents not to confront one another and to leave enforcement to the authorities. The anger on the ground nevertheless spilled into direct clashes on Wednesday, with many in the city seeing it as another stage in a struggle that has been going on for years.

Arad has long been one of the most visible flashpoints between secular residents and the Gur Hasidic community over the city’s character, public space, and way of life. Tensions reignited in recent months after two business owners linked to Gur bought the city’s mall and closed it on Shabbat, prompting sharp protest from secular residents. The local political arena is also part of the conflict, with Maayan, identified with Likud, elected in part with Gur support, while his predecessor Nisan Ben Hamo was seen as taking a tougher line against the community.

Earlier controversies have also deepened mistrust. In November, according to Maayan, a female soldier was removed from Metropoline bus line 80 in Arad on the claim that it was a private shuttle for yeshiva and Talmud Torah students. Maayan called it a criminal offense and said he told the transportation minister that if a passenger is removed from a bus, the company will not enter the city. Metropoline said the matter was serious and under investigation. In August, thousands followed rabbinic instruction for a “day of prayer and fasting” and shut their businesses to protest the draft law, while in 2017 a secular protest against Arad’s “Haredization” led to violent unrest outside a resident’s home, including burning tires and an attempted break-in. Residents now fear the street fights could push the dispute into an even more dangerous phase.