Yisrael Beiteinu chairman MK Avigdor Liberman sharply criticized the riots in Bnei Brak yesterday, calling the rioters “terrorists" and placing responsibility on the haredi leadership. In an interview with 103fm Monday morning, he said the state had promised governance but delivered lawlessness.
“They promised us governance and we got lawlessness. Yesterday, terrorists attacked female soldiers in the heart of Bnei Brak. They are not Jews, they are not citizens - they are terrorists, plain and simple," Liberman said. He questioned how authorities would have responded if a similar attack had occurred in Gush Etzion or on the Lebanon border, highlighting what he described as a double standard.
Addressing claims that the police were not consulted ahead of the events, Liberman said, “We are eroding reality in a way that sometimes makes you want to pinch yourself. I heard people in the Israel Police say, ‘Their entry into Bnei Brak was not coordinated with us.’ This is the center of the country - what coordination? Soldiers cannot be restricted from entering key areas like Ramat Beit Shemesh, Bnei Brak, or Mea Shearim. This is unacceptable. It is not a fringe issue; unfortunately, this is the central leadership."
Liberman placed responsibility squarely on haredi leaders, citing Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef, the Chief Rabbi of Israel, who told followers to tear up draft notices and “flush them down the toilet," and Moshe Hillel Hirsch, who called draft evasion a religious duty. He also referenced United Torah Judaism head Goldberg’s rhetoric comparing military service to a “yellow badge." “They care only about power, respect, and money for themselves. The haredi public is held hostage; we need to rescue them," he said.
He warned that many young haredim are unprepared for the labor market due to a lack of education in subjects like English, math, and computers, leaving them dependent on allowances, charity, and community funds. “Along with the charity and the allowance, they will also get a voting slip. They only care about themselves; their public doesn’t matter to them," Liberman said.
Declaring that he would not join any future coalition with haredi parties, Liberman said, “God forbid. The haredi parties must move to the opposition for at least two terms. The extortion by the haredi parties has crossed every line; we can no longer subsidize it." On the broader political landscape, he said the next government’s composition would hinge on a clear strategy between the bloc of those who serve and the bloc of draft dodgers. “If we go with a clear bloc strategy, I see at least 63 mandates," he said.
On security, Liberman called for the deployment of two Border Police battalions to Bnei Brak. “Every time draft dodgers are arrested, they are released through a revolving door. This lawlessness cannot continue when we are building a state within a state. Blocking Jabotinsky Road, the main artery of Gush Dan, is unbearable. It threatens national resilience and unity. When there is draft dodging, there is no unity," he concluded.