Tensions in Israel's capital reached a dangerous new level as ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) protesters engaged in life-threatening violence, including hurling an elderly civilian under the wheels of passing cars. The chaos, captured by police surveillance and shared publicly, stems from ongoing demonstrations against court-ordered autopsies on two infants who died at an unlicensed daycare.
According to Israel Police, spotters from the Jerusalem "Mabat" command center identified the severe incident in real time. Protesters, who had blocked key roads with rocks, turned aggressive when an elderly man attempted to clear the obstruction to allow traffic to flow. In response, the rioters physically assaulted him, throwing him directly into the path of oncoming vehicles, an act police described as a deliberate endangerment of life.In a separate but related event, officers arrested a suspect caught "red-handed" rolling heavy rocks onto the roadway, aiming to create hazards for drivers.
Police emphasized that such actions cross "every red line," accusing the demonstrators of intentionally targeting civilians and law enforcement. "We will continue to act decisively and with a firm hand to restore public order and bring suspects to justice," a police statement read.
The protests erupted following the tragic deaths of two toddlers at a Romema neighborhood daycare yesterday, with caregivers now detained on suspicion of negligent homicide.
Haredi communities oppose the autopsies on religious grounds, viewing them as a desecration of the dead. Demonstrations have spread to multiple sites in Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh, with overnight clashes renewing into the day.
