Small Protesters Try to Disrupt Bnei Brak Traffic Minutes Before Shabbat

Protest activists arrived shortly before Shabbat on Kahneman Street in Bnei Brak and tried to disrupt traffic in the city, after earlier threats to stage a major blockade. According to reports from the scene, only a small number of demonstrators came, despite the public promises of a large-scale shutdown.

The arrival led to confrontations between the protesters and local residents, who opposed any attempt to block the street during the sensitive hours before Shabbat. The tension was especially high because the area is typically crowded at that time with families, children, and residents making last-minute preparations.

The protest was organized in response to statements by attorney Ayelet HaShachar Seydof, who heads the group Mothers on the Front. She had said the organization intended to block Bnei Brak in reaction to Haredi demonstrations against military conscription. “Blockades will be met with blockades,” she said in an interview, adding that the protesters planned to “disrupt the lives” of the city’s residents.

The choice to target Bnei Brak just before Shabbat drew strong anger in the city, especially because of the timing, which many saw as deliberately provocative.