Ultra-Orthodox Spokesperson Sparks Outrage by Comparing Police to Hamas Terrorists

During a panel discussion on the current affairs program 'Kikar HaShabat,' spokesperson for 'The Jerusalem Faction' Rabbi Israel Tropper drew widespread condemnation for comparing police officers to Hamas terrorists. Tropper made the inflammatory remarks while discussing the recent arrests of yeshiva students and the ongoing protests. He accused police of using stun grenades in direct fire against demonstrators, an action he described as "terrorist behavior." He further escalated his rhetoric by equating the officers to "Nukhba terrorists."

The host, Yossi Saragovsky, immediately attempted to halt Tropper's statements, urging him to retract the comparison, but Tropper refused, insisting that anyone who fires a grenade directly and injures someone is a terrorist, not a police officer. The remarks ignited a firestorm within the studio. Matan Yaffe, chairman of the 'El HaDegel' movement, vehemently attacked Tropper, calling him a traitor and an anarchist who slanders an entire community and defends terrorists. Yaakov Weider, a member of the Bnei Brak City Council, echoed the criticism, labeling the comments "irresponsible and violent" and highlighting the disruption caused by repeated road blockades in Bnei Brak. Social activist Ariel Menashe added that Israeli police officers are heroes, some of whom fell on October 7th, and that using such terminology crosses a red line. The program also touched upon the recent election results, with participants discussing the perceived "collapse" of the Shas party. They debated whether the party's loss of votes was due to its perceived arrogance or its attempt to appeal to both traditional voters and IDF soldiers. Analyst Yehuda Glickman discussed the political deadlock, suggesting a battle of wills between Binyamin Netanyahu and Avigdor Lieberman, with Lieberman potentially seeking to become prime minister or force new elections.

Towards the end of the program, the panel viewed a video of the father of a fallen soldier, Amit Cohen, shouting at Gadi Eisenkot and accusing him of abandoning soldiers. The panelists expressed shock and sorrow, with Matan Yaffe lamenting the breach of the sanctity of not harming bereaved parents and the politicization of the issue. The program concluded with participants choosing their "Man of the Week," with Tropper selecting a groom arrested during his Sheva Brachot, Menashe honoring a Haredi man who enlisted in the IDF, and Yaffe dedicating his choice to the Israeli voter.