Excluded passenger: "I was not hurt – turned a fly into an elephant"

Suspects of riots in Beit Shemesh released under restrictive conditions. Additional two, a couple who were involved in the inciting incident, were released earlier.

A police source said: "For now suspects were released under restrictions, but if they continue disturbances, there will be other detainees. We have enough room in jails for rioters.

Rabbi Nathan Kofshitz, Rabbi of Menucha Venachala neighborhood and a member of the Badatz, previously turned to the Beit Shemesh police officials and promised that if they released detainees, he will restrain extremist residents, and ensure that the calm will be maintained.

The story began when a religious woman, Rachel Rosenfeld, a new immigrant living in the city, sat with her children at the front of the bus line 497 travelling to Bnei Brak.

A resident of Bnei Brak asked her to move to the back of the bus. The passenger did not object and moved to the back seat.

However, the driver ordered to stop and called the police, who rushed to delay the man for questioning. His wife disturbed the police, and she was taken with her husband to the police station in Beit Shemesh, where they were questioned and released under restrictive conditions.

Rosenfeld who was questioned by the police said: "The police are turning a fly into an elephant." She said the request did not upset her at all.

The man who was released said: "do not regret what I did. It was inflated by the bus driver. The woman said to the officer that she does not have what to complain about and she went willingly to the back of the bus."

Following the arrest, four orthodox attacked the 417 line at the bus stop. One of them blocked the lane of the bus, while three of his friends smashed the windows with a hammer. One passenger was slightly injured, but did not need medical treatment.

Moshe Shumann, an eyewitness traveling on the bus, told journalist Eliyahu Eliovic: "I was on the bus line 417 from Bet Shemesh to Jerusalem. The bus was full due to vacation time. When the driver stopped at the station, four men blocked the bus - and began to hammer on the windows of the bus. There was panic on the bus; there were also people with babies. The driver tried to drive away, but without success, because they blocked the bus. Only after breaking all the windows, they fled - and the driver drove to a safe place. "

Meanwhile, residents threw stones at another bus on Hazon Ish Street. The vehicle was damaged.

Egged decided to order the drivers not to go into the ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods in Beit Shemesh, until things calmed down.

Egged: The driver followed the law
Egged spokesman Ron Ratner said in response: "The claim that the bus driver is at fault resulting in conflict and there was no need to call the police, so that the order should be imposed in the public sphere - is tantamount to mockery.

"Supreme Court decision and instructions from the Ministry of Transport is that there will be no public transport separation initiated between men and women, so that sitting on the bus will be on a voluntary basis and each person chooses where to sit, and accordingly drivers were required to call the police in the event of attack accompanied by verbal or physical in this topic.

"The couple who was detained shall give his version of events to the police, and if it turns out they did not have a hand in this process, I believe you no steps will be taken against them.

"We are dismayed to see that a number of ruffians consumed their anger after the incident on the bus full with families with children, while they hammered and smashed the windows, injuring one passenger and fleeing the area after sowing death and destruction.

"Orthodox claims should be directed primarily toward these rioters, who stain the entire community. I express the hope that the police will locate them and exhaust them to deterrent and uncompromising justice.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!