From the Liveblog of
Sunday, February 15, 2026
More condemnations pour in for Bnei Brak mob attack
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleSam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
Former defense minister Yoav Gallant calls for action against ultra-Orthodox rabbis whose rhetoric sparked today’s mob attack against two female soldiers in the ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Brak, stating that they should be prosecuted.
“An attack on IDF soldiers is an attack on the people of Israel and the State of Israel,” the former Likud lawmaker declares in a post on X.
“The extremist rioters who attacked female IDF soldiers in Bnei Brak must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law; so too must the rabbis who sanctioned their bloodshed, and those who sent them to commit an act that is un-Jewish, un-Zionist, and inhumane.”
Last week, the spiritual leaders of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party and the Degel HaTorah faction warned members of the military police that they could face divine repercussions and excommunication.
Coalition lawmakers and ministers condemn the attack as well, calling for quick arrests and arguing that the members of the mob do not represent the mainstream Haredi community.
The attack was “a grave and shameful crossing of a red line,” says Economy Minister Nir Barkat. “It involves an extreme minority that does not represent the community, yet it strikes at the heart of the mutual responsibility that binds our people. I call on law enforcement authorities to act with a firm hand and to bring the rioters to full justice.”
“Those criminals represent a small, violent and dangerous minority,” agrees Education Minister Yoav Kisch, also calling on the police to “bring them to justice.”
Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Boaz Bismuth, who is currently working to advance a bill exempting most Haredi yeshiva students from military conscription, says: “I strongly condemn the violent and extremist riots that took place in Bnei Brak. I expect law enforcement to act with determination and bring all those involved to full justice.”
Coalition whip Ofir Katz tweets: “A disgrace and a shame! Female soldiers being rescued, a police officer attacked and surrounded while being called a Nazi, a patrol car overturned, and a police motorcycle set on fire — anarchists.”
Responding to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s condemnation of the incident, The Democrats chairman Yair Golan calls on the premier not to condemn but instead to “conscript them” and “impose order on the streets of Bnei Brak.”
The Times of Israel Community.