Thousands of Jerusalem Faction Protesters Set for Nationwide Disruption, Rail “Hint” Raises Questions

Jerusalem Faction activists are launching a nationwide day of disruption today and are promising “surprises” at undisclosed locations. The question stirring the streets is whether the blockades will reach Bnei Brak and disrupt the wedding celebration of the leaders’ descendants, or whether the north will be set ablaze. Here are all the details on the planned drama for this evening.

High alert for disruption is in effect across the country, as the afternoon and late evening hours today, Thursday, are expected to be marked by severe transport tensions. This follows the Jerusalem Faction’s announcement of a broad day of disruption throughout the country, set to begin at 5:00 p.m. The radical protest comes in response to the arrest of yeshiva students who, on the instruction of their rabbis, did not report to the enlistment offices and were classified as deserters.

Faction activists have promised “surprises” and have so far kept the locations of the blockades completely secret, in an effort to complicate police preparations.

Rail hint, protests also outside the Dan region?

According to estimates, the blockades will not focus only on the main routes of the Dan region, but will spread to surprising locations across the country. A strong hint at the new tactic appeared in an internal instruction sent to protesters, in which they were explicitly asked not to disrupt train traffic. The implication, according to assessments, is an intention to use the national rail network to quickly transport large groups of protesters to the various protest sites around the country.

Bnei Brak celebration disrupted?

Meanwhile, this evening is expected to draw considerable attention because of the grand wedding of the grandchildren of two senior spiritual leaders of the Jerusalem Faction, which will take place in Bnei Brak. The wedding celebrates the marriage of the granddaughter of Ponevezh Yeshiva head, Rabbi Shmuel Markovich, to the grandson of Rabbi Eliezer Diner, rabbi of the Adat Yisrael synagogue in Bnei Brak.

Hundreds of admirers are expected to attend the celebration, led by Jerusalem Faction leader Rabbi Azriel Auerbach, alongside a number of rabbis and yeshiva heads. Despite the major celebration that will occupy the movement’s senior leadership, the faction does not plan to ease up.

Kikar HaShabbat learned that the celebrants themselves, the leading rabbis, issued a clear instruction to activists not to take the elevated family event into account and to continue the protest and blockade measures as usual. It remains to be seen whether the protesters will also block Bnei Brak’s transport arteries, which could disrupt access to the wedding itself, or whether they will move the center of their angry demonstrations to northern Israel so as not to disrupt their rabbis’ celebration.