Rosh Yeshiva from 'Jerusalem faction' against Hard"kim campaign

Signs of moderation in view: Hagaon R' Dov Tzvi Karelinstein, head of the Grodno yeshiva in Ashdod, came out yesterday (Tuesday) in favor of Haredi soldiers and denounced the attacks against them. Harav Karelinstein's statement is surprising in light of his being one of the seniors in the Litvishe public's extreme faction known as "the Jerusalem faction."

This was said in a conversation with avrechim which was held at his home in Ashdod. "Anyone humiliating or degrading a haredi soldier has no part in the next world," he said, "I'm sure a haredi bochur who learned in a yeshiva and was drafted to the IDF received a heter from his Rabbonim, and one has to hold a dialogue with them. But to harm? Degrade? Watch out for your souls."

Harav Karelinsten added that "avrechim who are really pained by the situation, can peacefully go up and ask those soldiers not to cool off our public dressed like that and put other clothes on when they pass in a Haredi neighborhood."

Things were said on the background of the harsh attack on haredi soldiers in recent weeks. Ads that show derogatory cartoons against haredim who chose to join the army together with the words "area clean of Harda"kim" are hung up broadly in all haredi areas across the country. By the volume of advertising, behind the campaign of attack are powerful entities, but until now they prefer to hide and are not willing to identify themselves.

In addition to ads, there were also a number of violent incidents recently, both physical and verbal, against the haredi soldiers.

Beitar City Council members gathered this morning for a plenary session to discuss violence against haredi soldiers. Council members joined the Tov faction member, Israel Pachter, to stop the campaign of incitement against the haredi soldiers. However, there were members of the Council who feared an open decision to for fear of the terror of fanatical extremist groups.

Tov Movement, incorporating the working Haredim, launched a campaign yesterday (Tuesday) against the Harda"kim campaign and protested against the violence against haredi soldiers. In the framework of the campaign, ads were hung up titled 'thugs have ruled over us' (Biryonim mashlu banu).

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!