The unbridled attacks against the chareidi public, led by the media, a number of politicians and various other figures with vested interests, have not relented. This week a television news crew went to Beit Shemesh to provoke local residents and sully the chareidi image in the eyes of the general population.
"We are surrounded by hundreds of millions of bloodthirsty enemies, but an entire
country has taken leave of its senses and is busy throwing dirt at the chareidim,"
said HaRav Dovid Cohen, rosh yeshiva of Chevron Yeshiva speaking on Chanukah at
Kollel Pesach Orah. "One man did a foolish thing which deserves the condemnation
of everyone, and they took him to sully the entire chareidi community and they
imply that we are all violent. It is beyond understanding that they spend the whole day on this issue, as if klal Yisroel had no other problems."
According to Knesset Finance Committee Chairman Rabbi Moshe Gafni, a number of politicians and other figures, who have banded together in a bid to bring down the governing right-wing coalition led by Prime Minister Netanyahu, have been waging a deceptive, hollow, carefully timed propaganda battle against the chareidi public. Even Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has fallen into the trap the media laid for him and, following media pressure, was compelled to issue remarks on the issue, fanning the flames of incitement during the weekly government cabinet meetings.
Goaded by the media, these figures have been working tirelessly to advance their agenda by ratcheting up incitement against the chareidi sector, including the instigation by the news crew in Beit Shemesh, which highlighted very exceptional behavior by a limited number of residents while presenting it as conduct typical of the city's chareidi population.
Following a string of provocations police were summoned to the scene, noting that "the unrest in the city continues because of the media presence."
MK Rabbi Yaakov Litzman, deputy minister of health, criticized the attacks of opposition leader MK Livni. He said that he still has the proposal from Kadima for UTJ to join a government under their leadership. "She was prepared to have everyone wear tefillin the whole day, as long as she would be prime minister... If you do not mend your ways you will wind up a party the size of UTJ."
MK Rabbi Uri Maklev said that he "does not remember many subjects that held the public interest for so long, and the media storm is just getting stronger... Even when there is a big disaster it is not of interest for more than a few days. Here Likud and Kadima are competing to criticize the chareidim louder than the other. A real tidal wave."
In summing up Rabbi Maklev said that seaparate seating is the way of life of the chareidim. If they try to force us into a war of values "we will be moser nefesh, even about shoelaces."
