From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
Haredi leaders condemn police use of stun grenades against Haredi protesters
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleAriela Karmel is a political correspondent at The Times of Israel. She previously reported for Calcalist and Haaretz. She holds an MA in Middle Eastern and African History from Tel Aviv University and a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.
The ultra-Orthodox political leadership lashes out at police and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir following the use of stun grenades during clashes with Haredi protesters blocking a major highway in central Israel this morning.
“Itamar Ben Gvir, wake up!,” says Shas chair Aryeh Deri, claiming police apply a double standard against Haredi protesters that they did not apply to anti-government protesters.
“Get up now and stop the police violence against Torah scholars,” he says.
United Torah Judaism lawmaker Meir Porush argues that the police’s conduct is unworthy of both “a state governed by Jews” and “a country purporting to be a democracy,” likening it instead to Turkey and Iran.
The criticism follows violent confrontations on Route 4 near Bnei Brak, where dozens of Haredi protesters blocked traffic during rush hour to protest the arrests of ultra-Orthodox draft evaders. Footage from the scene appeared to show police deploying stun grenades before dragging demonstrators from the roadway.
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid seizes on the public spat, accusing ultra-Orthodox leadership of hypocrisy.
“Deri sits in the cabinet and sends our children to fight and die for the country – and then goes outside and sends his own children to block roads against enlistment in the IDF,” Lapid writes on X, calling the situation “a moral stain” on the government.
The Times of Israel Community.