Ultra-Orthodox Students Clash With Police in Elad, Claiming Excessive Force

Severe riots erupted overnight in the city of Elad, sparking outrage among yeshiva students who accuse police of crossing all boundaries. Following hours of confrontations during which several students were injured, the police released their account, stating that demonstrators threw stones at officers, injuring one in the head. However, students vehemently criticized the police, alleging they entered yeshiva compounds and threw stun grenades at students who were not even participating in the protest.

The incidents began Wednesday evening after the arrest of a third-year student from the "Torah B'Tifarta" yeshiva. The student had gone to a police station for a traffic offense and was transferred to military police after it was discovered he was a draft dodger. This arrest initially sparked protests near Kfar Saba and Ra'anana, eventually moving to the entrance of Elad, where yeshiva students gathered to protest their friend's detention.

During the evening, protesters blocked Highway 444, leading to clashes with police. Videos from the scene show demonstrators damaging a police vehicle, and another shows a trash bag thrown at the commander of the Rosh Ha'ayin station, hitting him. Police reported that during the riots, an officer was injured in the head by thrown stones and taken for medical treatment.

However, the students' most serious accusations concern events later in the night, after the protest at Elad's entrance was dispersed. According to students present, police forces entered the compounds of "Torah B'Tifarta," Rabbi Ettinger's yeshiva, and the nearby Kibbutz Yeshiva, throwing stun grenades at those inside. At least five students were reportedly injured by the grenades, with one evacuated to Beilinson Hospital. Students claimed that some of the injured were not involved in the protest but were simply in the yeshiva courtyards or near dormitory rooms.

Students described the police actions as "unjustifiable," even if some protesters were violent. They emphasized the significant difference between dispersing protesters blocking a road and entering dormitory areas where students live and study. The anger is amplified because the affected yeshivas are central institutions within the mainstream Haredi community, not fringe groups known for protesting military conscription. The possibility of police entering top-tier yeshiva compounds and using stun grenades near dormitories is seen as an exceptionally unusual event.

Criticism is also directed at the Haredi representation in the Knesset, which students feel has not acted sufficiently. They are baffled that an incident involving police entering major yeshiva grounds and injuring students has not prompted a stronger response from their elected officials. The events in Elad may signal a shift in Haredi protests against the arrest of yeshiva students, with a growing willingness among students from mainstream yeshivas to participate in demonstrations, blurring lines between different Haredi factions. The police conduct, if the allegations are proven true, could further intensify the conflict between yeshiva students and law enforcement.