Porush Demands Knesset Probe of Police Violence

The demonstration Wednesday morning saw Israeli police deploy stun grenades and batons against members of the Jerusalem Faction who had blocked the major highway during rush hour. Eight protesters received medical treatment, with several evacuated to hospitals, while five were arrested on charges of disrupting public order.

Disturbing footage from the scene showed protesters with torn clothing and blood streaming from their faces after what witnesses described as disproportionate violence by riot police. In one video, an officer appeared to deliberately tear a protester's pants during the confrontation.

"But time after time, we learn in the most painful way that this equation stops completely when it comes to the haredi public," Porush stated in his letter. "Toward these demonstrators - there is no containment, no patience, and no attempt at understanding."

The National Security Committee member detailed what he characterized as unprecedented brutality in Wednesday's operation: "The protest that took place on Route 4 near Bnei Brak was dispersed with cruel and unprecedented violence that crossed every possible red line. This was not about clearing a highway or maintaining public order, but rather the deployment of brutal force designed to instill terror."

Porush cited specific incidents documented in video footage: "We were exposed to shocking documentation from the field, including among other things: throwing stun grenades directly at demonstrators sitting on the road, beating with clubs and aggressive dragging, difficult scenes of wounded protesters, bruised and bleeding on the asphalt, with their clothing torn."

The letter referenced additional disturbing details that Porush indicated were too sensitive to detail in writing, suggesting the violence extended beyond what has been publicly documented.

The protest erupted following the Israeli Police's decision to transfer 17 arrested yeshiva students to military prison, a move the hardline ultra-Orthodox faction characterized as crossing a red line in what they describe as a persecution campaign against Torah scholars. The students had been detained during previous protests after refusing to comply with IDF conscription summons.

"In light of the severity of the events, I demand that you convene an urgent and immediate session of the National Security Committee, so that police commanders can provide accountability for the violence deployed this morning and for the selective and discriminatory enforcement system that has been conducted for years regarding protests according to the character of the demonstrators and the subject of their protest," Porush concluded.

The confrontation has sparked a fierce political crisis within the coalition, with Shas chairman Aryeh Deri publicly clashing with National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir over the police response. Ben Gvir has refused to condemn the force used, while Deri fired back: "Your officers, your responsibility."

The escalating tensions come as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has personally guaranteed that emergency legislation halting the arrest of yeshiva students will advance through the Knesset next week, following intensive negotiations between senior Shas officials and the Cabinet Secretary. The breakthrough could defuse some of the immediate crisis, though the broader confrontation over haredi military service remains unresolved.

The Jerusalem Faction has warned that protests will intensify if the government does not halt what it describes as persecution of Torah scholars, raising concerns among some observers that the situation could spiral into a more serious confrontation between the haredi community and state authorities.