Haredi extremists disrupted an event on Sunday evening for the parents of soldiers from the Hashmonaim Brigade infantry unit, held in Bnei Brak. Three soldiers were lightly injured and evacuated for medical treatment.
The commander of the Hashmonaim Brigade, Col. Avinoam Emuna, was evacuated from the scene under heavy police security.
The IDF Spokesperson stated: "During an appreciation event for the parents of new recruits to the Hashmonaim Brigade, held tonight (Sunday) in Bnei Brak, several protesters stormed the hall in an attempt to disrupt it. Some of the protesters acted violently toward the brigade’s soldiers and commanders. The IDF strongly condemns any act of violence against its commanders and soldiers."
Yaakov Vider, a member of the Bnei Brak City Council, responded to the incident, saying: “Let it be clear to that small, extreme, and violent group, which does not represent the residents of Bnei Brak: there will never be a situation in which IDF soldiers and officers cannot walk or stay freely in Bnei Brak. Period."
Yisrael Beytenu chairman MK Avigdor Liberman commented: “Anyone who attacks an IDF soldier out of ideological motives deserves a lengthy prison sentence and, in certain cases, even the demolition of their home. This is what the law stipulates. I call on the authorities to enforce the law. Israel is a state governed by law, for heaven’s sake."
Earlier, haredi protesters blocked Highway 38 near Beit Shemesh in protest over the arrest of draft dodgers. Other demonstrators attempted to block the Golda Meir Junction in Jerusalem. Police dispersed the protesters in both cases.