Exclusive • mother of attacked soldier: It's terrible - police must intervene and stop phenomenon

"This is terrible. Simply terrible, this is an extremist group that is not representative, the police should intervene to eradicate this phenomenon."

This was the response of Mrs. D - mother of the ba'al tshuva soldier who was attacked on Tuesday night in Mea Shearim in Jerusalem by a crowd of haredim - in a talk this evening with Behadrey Haredim.

The soldier, in his 20s, is from a traditional family living in the center of the country. He came closer to Judaism five years ago.

In recent years, he wore a kippa, became haredi, and began studying at Shuvu Banim Yeshiva of Breslev. He received full support from his parents. Nevertheless, they did not give up and demanded he enlist in the IDF.

"I persisted," says the mother. "I wanted him to serve in the army just as most of the family did. Army recruiting is ideology and one has to serve the country at any cost, it also contributes to everyone."

Indeed, four months ago her son joined the rescue unit of the Home Front Command, but she is not completely satisfied with the results. "They want haredim to enlist, but they do not give them the appropriate response," says the mother. "He has a lot of problems with kosher food, prayer minyanim and more.

"I thought maybe I made a mistake," the mother added, "I spoke to his commanders and they promised to help him. He encountered difficulties mainly in the recent period. He even told me he did not want to go back to the army on Sunday, if the problems would not handled."

In relation to the attack she said: "This is terrible., But I am aware that this is a radical group which does not represent, the solution for it is in the hands of the authorities, they need to make order, to treat this phenomenon through the highest echelon in the country."

The sequence of events began when a soldier, a resident of central Israel who is a ba'al tshuva and learns in Shuvu Banim Yeshiva, came to visit relatives - also ba'alei tshuva - living in Mea Shearim. The soldier was in the neighborhood while wearing an IDF uniform.

A group of fanatics called out insults at him, and the group beat him with sticks and fists. The soldier pushed them and ran into the office building on Gamzu street - where he was hiding.

The frightened soldier alerted the police, and the latter was accompanied by a large SWAT team to rescue him. While police were in the neighborhood, they were attacked with cries of "Nazis! Nazis! Get out of here," and stones, water bottles and bags were thrown at them.

Border Guard forces tried to disperse the protesters, and four rioters were arrested. Only after 10 minutes they managed to join forces with the soldier. He changed his clothes and was taken the forces outside the neighborhood.

The soldier was interrogated at Russian Compound and reported the chain of events.

According to his family, the soldier was in shock: "Too bad that this is the reception of the haredi public to those in the process of repentance," they said.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!