Hundreds of chareidi protesters gathered Sunday morning outside the Tel Hashomer base in Kiryat Ono, blocking roads and confronting police during an IDF enlistment day for chareidi combat-support tracks.
The IDF had attempted to keep the date of the recruitment day quiet to avoid confrontations, but activists discovered the information and circulated calls to protest outside the recruitment office gates.
Among those who joined the protest were the Mashkenos HaRoim Rebbe and HaRav Benayahu Shmueli, rosh yeshiva of Nahar Shalom.
In recent days, vicious pashkevilim appeared across chareidi neighborhoods. One read: "The terrible decree of shmad to destroy chareidi Jewry in Eretz Yisrael is at its height. The evil Zionist regime is intensifying in these days its hunt after precious yeshiva bochurim and avreichim who are not prepared under any circumstances to fall into the military melting pot where they will lose both worlds, chas v'shalom."
"And on Sunday, 21 Cheshvan, hundreds of chareidim are invited to the Tel Hashomer recruitment office, in order to draft them into the army of shmad. They are tightening the noose and we will stand by? No! And no!"
"Tens of thousands of Jews from all streams of chareidi Jewry will gather on this day outside the gates of Gehinnom for a massive protest to declare and make clear to the entire world, that chareidi Jewry will turn over worlds until the soul-murderers remove their cruel claws from the youth of chareidi Jewry."
Police declare protest illegal, close roads
As protesters gathered, police forces deployed to maintain public order outside the Tel Hashomer recruitment office in Kiryat Ono and around the perimeter gates of the base.
Israel Police said it would continue to allow freedom of protest and expression as permitted by law, but would not permit riots, disturbance of public order, or dangerous criminal behavior carried out in violation of the law.
Police officers at the scene declared the demonstration illegal, and despite attempts at dialogue, protesters continued to mass at the location, confronting officers with shouts of "Nazis" and "terrorists" directed at police forces. In addition, protesters attempted to intimidate candidates who arrived at the recruitment office.
Police forces began to distance and forcibly remove protesters using crowd-control measures.
Traffic arrangements:
Yaakov Dori Street in Kiryat Ono was closed to traffic from Shlomo HaMelech Street to Levi Eshkol Street in both directions.
Drivers were asked to avoid the area and use alternate routes.
