Haredi men (stock)
Haredi men (stock)Istock

The strained relations between secular and religious reached another boiling point yesterday - this time in the world of entertainment when a camera crew of a new film starring Maor Schweizer was attacked by residents of Netanya while filming in a haredi neighborhood. The attackers attacked the crew, threw objects at them and their cameras, and shouted insults at them.

Mako reports that the catalyst for the attack was a film about the culture of matchmaking in the haredi world. The main role is played by Amit Rahav, who plays in the series "The Rebel", and is familiar with the Haredi world. He arrived with actresses Liana Iyun and Naya Federman and director Maor Schweitzer, only to be greeted with considerable public outrage at the costumes involved.

Yaki Reisner, the film's producer, did not expect this reception when he came to shoot in the predominantly haredi Kiryat Sanz neighborhood, commented, "I think today, especially in light of the coronavirus crisis, people thought they were conducting some kind of surveillance.”

Yaki added that this is not the first time the photography team has entered a haredi neighborhood and said: "We have been filming for a month in Bnei Brak. There are always people watching, but it always goes smoothly. In Bnei Brak, people acted naturally and it was quite nice." This incident ended without damage or injuries when the production people chose not to confront the locals, and moved to film in another location in the city. The filming will continue as planned.