Reporter says he was beaten by ultra-Orthodox men as he covered Jerusalem event

A journalist said he was physically assaulted and threatened by a group of ultra-Orthodox men as he reported on the early stages of an apparently illegal mass celebration in Jerusalem.

Army Radio’s religious affairs reporter Shahar Glick told the station he was attacked on Wednesday night in the Kiryat Belz neighborhood, where he was waiting to report on a celebratory event banned under the national coronavirus lockdown rules. He said he has filed a complaint with the police.

Glick was watching people arrive at the north Jerusalem event in its early stages, and had tweeted a video that shows a few dozen people gathering for what appeared to be a Simhat Beit Hashoeva celebration, an annual tradition that takes place during the week-long Sukkot holiday that began last Friday.

He was spotted in the street by one of the participants, who called over a group of others who surrounded him and beat him, causing him injuries to his head, neck and legs. Glick said the man who spotted him knew he was a reporter and knew his name.

This man took his cellphone away and only returned it to him after making him promise that he would not further cover the event.

Glick said he was taken into an alley by this man, who questioned him, photographed his press card and ID card, and told him that he was risking his life reporting on the community, that those who attacked him could have killed him, and that bad things happen to those who “pry” into other people.

האירוניה התאבדה. גברים בחליפות הרגו אותה. כעת ברוממה, תפעילו סאונד, לא נגעתי@Segev_Yuval pic.twitter.com/l0JMgSfu3v

— שחר גליק Shahar Glick (@glick_sh) October 7, 2020

Meanwhile, another Army Radio reporter, Yuval Segev, posted footage Wednesday night to his Twitter account of a separate mass gathering by the Toldos Aharon Hasidic sect in the central Mea Shearim neighborhood of the city, and reported that scuffles broke out as some who were not invited tried to gain entry.

Segev reported that there were no police in the area of the event, which eyewitnesses said was attended by 2,000 people. He also indicated that many of those present were not wearing face masks, as required under Health Ministry rules during the virus outbreak.

Police eventually did arrive when the event was finishing up, he reported, and officers were pelted with stones as they moved in.

אלימות ודחיפות בין כמה מאנשי תולדות אהרון לבחורים שניסו להכנס בכח לאירוע של החסידות. בפנים על פי עדויות כ2000 איש. משטרה? לא נראת באופק @glick_sh pic.twitter.com/bTUF98Cm3V

— יובל שגב | Yuval Segev (@Segev_Yuval) October 7, 2020

On Tuesday, Haaretz cited sources in the Jerusalem ultra-Orthodox community who claimed a deal had been struck between police and some extreme Hasidic sects — including Toldos Aharon — under which there would be no lockdown enforcement blocking their mass celebrations during Sukkot as long as organizers made sure they were kept discreet with no images of video of the events published.

Police denied the report.

Last Sunday, journalists for Channel 13 were assaulted near the hardline ultra-Orthodox Jerusalem neighborhood of Mea Shearim, with several rioters smashing their vehicle’s windows.

Reporter Yossi Eli and a cameraman were forced to flee the area after the attack near Kikar Hashabbat. The attackers also charged at police officers in the area, seeking to chase them away, according to Channel 13.

Criticism of the ultra-Orthodox community has been growing in recent days, as videos have proliferated showing continued refusal to comply with lockdown rules while the rest of the country has seen their freedoms heavily curtailed by the emergency regulations.

Critics have also accused the police of being reluctant to crack down on the ultra-Orthodox, while others have accused officers of using excessive force against Haredi protesters and anti-government activists holding regular demonstrations.

Officers attempting to enforce coronavirus lockdown regulations have met fierce resistance in some ultra-Orthodox communities. Two dozen people were arrested in the ultra-Orthodox settlement of Modiin Illit and Jerusalem late Tuesday and early Wednesday, and several people were injured, including four officers.

The ultra-Orthodox have seen soaring coronavirus infection rates with an assessment last week finding that the rate of infection in the community is 2.5 times that of the national average. Spiraling infections across the country prompted the current lockdown, the second this year. Although initially scheduled to be lifted at the end of the Sukkot holiday, officials have said it will likely continue for at least a week longer before any easing of restrictions takes place.

While various ultra-Orthodox groups have complied with lockdown rules and mask-wearing regulations, others have bristled at the restrictions and have continued to attempt to hold large gatherings, challenging enforcement efforts by police.

Most of the clashes with police in recent days have been attributed to anti-Zionist fringe groups.