Last night, huge demonstrations by the 'Jerusalem Faction', which included road and railway blockades, took place in several central locations across the country - in protest of the arrest of 'deserters'.
On the program 'War Zone', hosted by Baruch Kara, on Channel 13, we discussed this with panelist, political commentator Sheri Roth.
Rabbi Avraham Menkes, spokesperson for the Jerusalem Faction: I explicitly said that I am against violence, and you ask me if I am preparing to commit violent acts. I am against violence! I am definitely in favor of what the Attorney General said, that 'there is no effective demonstration without disturbing public order' - and I, as a citizen, as a Democrat citizen, am doing what the Attorney General told us to do.
Baruch read: Sherry, what do you say?
Sherry Roth: I say that I'm sad that we've reached this situation. How did it happen? I remember Dudu Rotem, from Yisrael Beitenu...
Blessed: Remember the blessing...
Sari: Remember, for your blessing, definitely, talking to me in the Knesset, and he told me: 'Sari, don't worry, they won't enter the yeshivot and take the students of the true sages.' And here it came.
Baruchi: No, they don't go into yeshivas and take...
Sherry: It doesn't matter, so we go into the house and take...
Baruchi: They arrest deserters, yes, yes, definitely.
Sherry: Listen, Baruch, if people who went to a club in Eilat, who went to a kiosk to watch a football game, were arrested, I don't think anyone would go out and protest. Maybe the most extremist of extremists, but no one would say a word or tweet.
Baruchi: No, no, there is an intention to arrest deserters.
Sherry: Even those who study seriously.
Baruchi: Yes, that's okay, I know we don't do it enough.
Sherry: And that's the problem. Not enough are separating those who are studying seriously, leave them until there is order, wait a moment for there to be order.
Baruchi: He says...
Sari: No, you don't think he represents me in any way, it's a Jerusalem faction, a very extreme faction.
Baruchi: No, no, we've known each other for years. But you see that he claims that he's also against violence, right? Even though he doesn't condemn what they did near Judge Solberg's house.
Sherry: Look, it's true that the Jerusalem faction wasn't there. Some say that their more extreme faction, because they also have several factions, did participate. I wasn't able to see anyone in the pictures who looked Lithuanian to me, the Jerusalem faction. I saw everyone like Satmar, Nituri Karta and such. In uniform. But maybe I missed someone.
After all, they are against violence, that's true. But this demonstration itself, if it spills over into places that the police have not allowed, it's not really a gentle demonstration, and the mainstream rabbis don't allow people to go to these demonstrations. And they are just as angry as he is about what they are doing to their children. But look where the country has come to. These are bonfires of flame that I don't know if anyone will be able to soften.
Baruchi: The country has reached a point where there is a war, and there is a large public of recruits, and solutions need to be found.
Sherry: Okay, now each side will explain what hurts them, and for decades they have been trying to find a solution and haven't found one.
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