Police Brutality Erupts at Haredi Protest: Blood, Stun Grenades, and a Coalition Crisis

Israeli police deployed extraordinary force Wednesday morning to disperse a haredi protest blocking Route 4 near Bnei Brak, leaving demonstrators bloodied and sparking a fierce political confrontation between coalition partners over what critics called a double standard in law enforcement.

Officers from the Tel Aviv District used stun grenades and batons against members of the Yerushalmi faction who had blocked the major highway during morning rush hour to protest the arrest of yeshiva students refusing military draft orders. 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.

The demonstration marked a departure from the faction's usual pattern of afternoon or evening protests, with organizers apparently choosing the morning rush hour to maximize disruption. Protesters blocked traffic lanes and, according to police, some crawled under vehicles to prevent their removal and keep the highway closed.

The violent dispersal triggered immediate condemnation from haredi lawmakers, who accused National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir of applying selective enforcement that favored left-wing protesters while brutally suppressing religious demonstrators.

Shas chairman MK Aryeh Deri issued a blistering statement directly challenging Ben Gvir's authority. "Itamar Ben Gvir, wake up!" Deri declared. "It's unacceptable that what the police didn't do at Kaplan against anarchists who sought to destroy the state, they now do against citizens whose only crime is studying Torah."

Deri added a pointed warning: "You've proven that when it matters to you, you know how to activate the police. Now get up and stop the violence against Torah students."

MK Meir Porush, chairman of the United Torah Judaism faction, went further, stating that the police conduct "does not match the behavior of police in a state governed by Jews, nor in a state claiming to be a democracy. Violent dispersal of protest as we saw this morning — we recognize from Turkey and Iran."

Ben Gvir notably refused to condemn the officers' conduct, instead issuing only a vague threat to restrict the use of stun grenades. Sources close to the minister claimed he is legally barred by the Supreme Court from commenting on police use of force at protests, a constraint that did not prevent him from launching a political counterattack.

In a statement on X, Ben Gvir deflected responsibility by attacking Deri over the tenure of former Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara. "From day one of this government I demanded the firing of the Attorney General, the one who persecutes haredim and protects the Kaplan protesters," Ben Gvir wrote. "But you and your colleagues protected her, because you thought you were smarter. Unfortunately you understood too late and the hard way that flattering her comes at a high cost to the haredi public."

Deri fired back immediately, accusing Ben Gvir of spreading falsehoods. "Itamar, a lie repeated again and again doesn't become truth. It remains a lie," Deri stated. "We supported firing the anarchist Attorney General from day one. Every member of the Shas faction signed the demand."

He then delivered the core of his rebuttal: "And what's this deflection to Miara? She's been fired for a year. You're the minister responsible for the police, and you bear the responsibility. The one who deployed harsh violence this morning wasn't the Attorney General, it was the officers subordinate to you."

MK Yoav Ben Tzur joined the criticism, highlighting what he characterized as discriminatory enforcement. "The shocking footage from this morning, showing officers deploying brutal violence and injuring haredi protesters until they bled, exposes the painful truth: Israel Police operates a selective and discriminatory enforcement system," Ben Tzur stated.

"For Kaplan protesters they announce over loudspeakers, but at haredi protests they use batons, stun grenades and disproportionate force," he continued. "The police's job is to maintain public order through reasonable and restrained force, not to exploit uniforms to trample the law and shred public trust."

The confrontation comes amid escalating tensions over the military draft crisis, with Prime Minister Netanyahu reportedly promising haredi parties that emergency legislation freezing arrests of yeshiva students will pass next week. The violent dispersal threatens to complicate those negotiations and deepen the rift between coalition partners.

Israel Police defended the operation in a statement, declaring the protest illegal and claiming officers attempted dialogue before using force. "Despite attempts at communication, the disrupters continued to gather at the site, blocked traffic lanes, delayed vehicles and caused severe traffic congestion," the statement read. "During the incident, some disrupters even crawled under vehicles to prevent their continued movement and to disrupt the reopening of the route."

United Hatzalah emergency services confirmed treating eight injured protesters at the scene, with several requiring hospital evacuation. The organization did not provide details on the severity of injuries.

The clash marks the latest flashpoint in an intensifying battle over haredi military service, with the Yerushalmi faction staging increasingly disruptive protests against government efforts to enforce draft orders on yeshiva students. The faction's willingness to block major highways during rush hour signals an escalation in tactics that appears designed to force a political resolution.