Shikma Bressler Sparks Online Backlash Over Attack on Haredi Protests

Shikma Bressler, one of the leaders of the protests against the government and the judicial overhaul, triggered a storm on social media Thursday evening after sharply attacking the extreme Haredi protests taking place across Israel. In a post, she wrote that there is no difference between what she called the “Haredi phalanges” on the roads and the “phalanges” in the West Bank, and argued that Israelis must understand who they are and what they want, which she described as a “dark religious state.”

Her remarks came as extremist Haredi demonstrations included road and rail blockades at several sites nationwide, causing major disruptions to cars and trains. The post drew many reactions online, with critics reminding Bressler of the anti-judicial overhaul protests she helped lead, which also featured blockades of major roads and widespread traffic disruption.

Much of the backlash focused on the accusation that she is now condemning tactics similar to those used in the protests she previously led. One user wrote, “They are just copying you.”