Investigation of incitement against ultra-Orthodox soldiers - in the 433rd LHAV unit

August 10, 2015   

Today (Monday), the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Security Committee issued its conclusions, following the discussion initiated by the 'ultra-Orthodox Likud Headquarters' on the Haredi campaign, and on 'incitement and violence against soldiers in the Haredi sector.' The discussion took place ten days ago, chaired by the chairman of the subcommittee, MK Yoav Kish of the Likud, following a request from the Haredi Likud Headquarters, and focused on attempts to find effective solutions to the 'Haredi' incitement campaign, as well as providing a response to Haredi soldiers who fear the wave of violence that has been increasing in recent times. Representatives from the IDF, the police, and the prosecutor's office participated in the discussion. Among other things, the committee decided: - Head of the IDF Investigations Division, Uri Machloff, announced that due to the seriousness of the matter, the handling of the incitement issue was transferred to the national unit for handling organized crime - Lahav Unit 433. - The Ministry of Justice announced following the discussion that issues related to incitement and violence against Haredi soldiers are transferred directly to the highest echelon in the ministry, namely - the Attorney General and the State Attorney. - The committee demands that the number of Haredi who request a dimensional exemption be accepted, even where there is no specific concern for the soldier. - The committee demands that the police proactively handle the threat to Haredi soldiers - even when no complaints are filed, in contrast to the current situation. - The committee demands that the prosecutor's office, the police, and the IDF appoint a special contact person who will be assigned to handle this issue exclusively. - Regarding the Haredakim campaign, the committee notes that the police and the prosecutor's office did not do enough to stop it, and it demands that a personal investigation be conducted against the funders, distributors, and organizers of the campaign - something that has not been done to date. The police stated: "The police began investigating the issue immediately upon receipt of the first complaint. Later, when additional complaints began to accumulate, the cases were consolidated. When the investigators noticed that there was a second wave, and especially the last wave, known as the 'hunters,' it was decided to transfer the investigation to the Lahav - which has deeper and more specialized investigative capabilities. The process began several weeks ago and the investigation is in full swing. A discussion on the issue was held in the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee about two weeks ago, some of it was open and some was covert. This should be clarified: it was the police that decided to transfer the investigation to Lahav.".