Protest organization "Brothers in Arms" responded today (Tuesday) to the violence directed towards worshipers in Dizengoff Square over Yom Kippur, calling for action to ensure that similar events do not recur.
Brothers in Arms first clarified: "We strongly oppose the provocative activities of the missionary group 'Rosh Yehudi' who are to blame for the sights we saw.”
"At the same time," they noted, "it was difficult for us to experience the events at Dizengoff Square, and we must work together as a nation, to ensure they do not recur. We must not let Netanyahu achieve what he wants – a nation that is torn and battling against each other."
After the Yom Kippur events at Dizengoff Square, the "Kaplan Force," an anti-judicial reform protest organization, lashed out at the religious Zionist community.
"On Yom Kippur we were exposed to a malicious and well-planned attempt by religious fanatics who tried to violate court rulings in order to impose an extreme and messianic religion in the secular public space throughout the country. This is the same group that is trying to turn Israel into a messianic dictatorship, a group from which baby-burners emerge, as well as those who encourage and support them,” they claimed.
"We regard with grave seriousness any attempt to take over public space by organizations funded by the liberal public’s tax money, which are supported by elected officials who are at the forefront of the coup."
The Force lashed out at the religious Zionist rabbis, claiming that "this is another stage in the coup that is taking place in Israel and an attempt to turn the public space that is dictated by the most extreme rabbis, such as Dov Lior and Zvi Tau, into an accepted norm. They want to turn Israel into a Taliban-style state and we must defend ourselves against this."
"The secular and liberal public in Israel will not tolerate and will not accept any impairment of its beliefs and lifestyles. Those who seek to change Israel’s image, from the national home of the entire Jewish people to the state of orthodoxy as dictated by Avi Maoz, will find that free people of Israel will revolt against them."
The protest began after the prayer organizers tried to use Israeli flags as a partition between the men and women, after the court accepted the municipality's claim that gender segregation in prayer in the public space should be prohibited.
Residents who came to the site confronted the worshipers, pulled down the partition, and even cleared away the chairs that the organizers had placed.
The prayer was eventually stopped and moved to a side street, and one of the demonstrators was detained for questioning. A group of protesters protested outside the police station where the protester was being questioned.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the clashes during prayers at Dizengoff Square: "The people of Israel sought to unite on Yom Kippur by asking for forgiveness, compassion and unity among us. We are shocked that here in the Jewish state, on the holiest day of the Jewish people, left-wing demonstrators rioted against Jews during their prayers. It seems that there are no boundaries, no accepted norms, and there are no limits for the hatred expressed by some extreme leftists. I, like the majority of Israeli citizens, reject this outburst. Such violent behavior has no place in our society."