2 days later, Haredi party condemns targeting of ultra-Orthodox MKs by extremists

Two days after ultra-Orthodox lawmakers were targeted by Haredi extremists in two separate incidents, the United Torah Judaism breaks its silence and condemns the actions.

The crowds targeted two Haredi MKs from different parties on Saturday night, protesting their cooperation in the advancement of a bill to regulate conscription of yeshiva students.

In the first incident, at the end of Shabbat, extremists smashed a window of Shas MK Yoav Ben-Tzur’s vehicle as he left a weekly lesson in Jerusalem. Later that night, dozens of Haredi demonstrators protested outside the home of United Torah Judaism MK Ya’akov Asher in Bnei Brak. The protest appeared to be disorganized, with participants flanked by police vehicles and additional officers arriving to control the crowd.

The protests were the latest instances in which a hardline faction of Haredim demonstrated its rejection of any plan that would conscript yeshiva students, even though the proposed law would likey enshrine mass exemptions for the community. The attack on Ben-Tzur’s car drew condemnation from across the political spectrum, though not immediately from UTJ. Security was reportedly beefed up for Asher and another UTJ member, Moshe Gafni, due to threats against them.

The incidents were not protests, but rather were unacceptable “grave displays of violence,” the UTJ statement says.

During the party’s faction meeting, members condemn the acts as well as attempts to justify them, arguing that they are being used to smear yeshiva students as violent.