Gur Rabbi Calls for Calm After Violent Arad Clash Between Hasidim, Secular

The rabbi of Arad's Gur Hasidic community issued an urgent call for restraint Thursday, one day after a mass brawl erupted between Hasidic residents and secular locals in the southern city, a violent confrontation that required major police deployment to restore order.

Rabbi Mordechai Chaim Wolkowitz, spiritual leader of the Gur community in Arad, published a letter to his followers instructing them to avoid provocations, refrain from gathering in areas where confrontations might occur, and "not respond to those who insult us in any form."

"In these difficult days, my opinion is that at such a time we must be especially careful not to be drawn into provocations, and not to gather in places where disputes might arise, and not to respond to those who insult us in any form," Rabbi Wolkowitz wrote in the letter, which he signed in his own handwriting with the words "with blessings for peace."

Fighting breaks out in Arad (Photo: Police spokesperson)

The directive came after Wednesday afternoon's violent clash, which erupted when secular residents attempted to block Hasidic vehicles from joining the nationwide convoy protest toward Prison 10, where haredi demonstrators were protesting the arrest of yeshiva students who refused military draft orders.

According to reporter Almog Boker, the confrontation rapidly escalated into a mass street brawl involving dozens of participants. Video footage from the scene showed residents trading blows, hurling objects, and shouting in residential areas, with frightened women and children caught in the melee as the violence spread between buildings and public spaces.

Large forces from the Southern District police and Border Guard fighters were scrambled to the scene to separate the combatants and prevent further escalation of the violence.

Police break up fighting in Arad (Photo: Police spokesperson)

In his letter, Rabbi Wolkowitz instructed community members that in any case of "harassment or assault, one must turn to the police and file a complaint."

The rabbi also warned his followers not to accept "unauthorized rumors," stating that only clear directives issued by him should be followed. He called on the community to increase "prayer and supplication, Torah study and fear of Heaven, and to increase love of Israel."

Yitzchak Gordon, a member of Arad's city council from the Gur community, responded sharply to the violence, calling on police to quickly arrest "the rioters attacking the community." Gordon blamed the unrest on what he characterized as dangerous incitement by local figure Nissan Ben Hamo, who he accused of calling for "an intifada in the city" just days earlier.

The Arad confrontation was one of several violent incidents that marred Wednesday's nationwide convoy protest. On Highway 1, a civilian driver pulled a firearm on haredi protesters, while the deputy mayor of Beitar Illit was violently attacked and choked by a hostile driver during the demonstration.

The southern city of Arad has been a flashpoint for tensions in recent months. The city was struck by Iranian missiles in March, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of residents and destroying homes — an attack that shattered the long-held belief among locals that proximity to sensitive installations made the area an unlikely target for direct strikes.