The battle between the newspaper Yated Ne'eman and its younger rival Peles, which has been going on for almost two years and is tearing the Lithuanian public apart, was until recently the preserve of the ultra-Orthodox public only. However, in recent weeks, as Passover approaches, it has been escalating and literally keeping Israeli business leaders awake at night. The reason: the battle over the huge advertising budgets for the ultra-Orthodox public before the holiday.<\/p>\r\n
The newspaper 'Globes' reports that in recent weeks senior executives have been harassed by dozens, and in some cases even hundreds, of phone calls and faxes that reach their offices and sometimes even their personal phones. The callers present themselves as readers of the Hapeles newspaper, and threaten that if they do not advertise in the newspaper they will stop using their services. Along with sectoral advertising agencies, among the companies that have been subjected to a barrage of harassment is the Strauss Company, including the senior management and the group's leaders - Ofra Strauss and CEO Zion Blass - who have received calls to their offices and personal phones.<\/p>\r\n
A similar incident also happened to the management of Bank Hapoalim and CEO Zion Keinan, who was personally harassed, and the same happened at Bezeq, including harassment that reached the office of CEO Stella Handler and the office of VP of Marketing Ran Gurion. The same happened at Unilever, Clalit Health Fund, Biofora, and a long list of other significant companies in the economy. The calls come in at a rate of dozens per minute, and sometimes personal phones ring at 2 or 3 in the morning.<\/p>\r\n
\""The conversations reach the entire chain - from customer service, through marketing managers and brand managers, to CEOs and company owners," a senior official at one of the companies tells the newspaper. Another senior official says: "The nature of the conversation varies and ranges from clarifying that if we don't advertise in Hafels they will stop using our services to crude and explicit threats. We are told that we risk a boycott from the entire Haredi public and are harming the greatness of Israel.".<\/p>\r\n
\""The pressure on Bezeq is bearing fruit"\"<\/strong><\/p>\r\n \u05d4\u05e4\u05dc\u05e1 \u05d4\u05d5\u05d0 \u05e2\u05d9\u05ea\u05d5\u05e0\u05dd \u05d4\u05d7\u05d3\u05e9 \u05d9\u05d7\u05e1\u05d9\u05ea \u05e9\u05dc \u05de\u05d9 \u05e9\u05de\u05db\u05d5\u05e0\u05d9\u05dd \u05d0\u05e0\u05e9\u05d9 \u05d4\u05e4\u05dc\u05d2 \u05d4\u05d9\u05e8\u05d5\u05e9\u05dc\u05de\u05d9 - \u05d4\u05de\u05d5\u05e0\u05d4\u05d2 \u05e2\u05dc \u05d9\u05d3\u05d9 \u05d4\u05d2\u05e8\"\u05e9 \u05d0\u05d5\u05d9\u05e8\u05d1\u05e2\u05da. \u05d4\u05e2\u05d9\u05ea\u05d5\u05df \u05d4\u05d5\u05e7\u05dd \u05dc\u05d0\u05d7\u05e8 \u05e9\u05e2\u05d5\u05e8\u05db\u05d5 \u05d4\u05d5\u05d5\u05ea\u05d9\u05e7 \u05e9\u05dc \u05d4\u05e2\u05d9\u05ea\u05d5\u05df \u05d9\u05ea\u05d3 \u05e0\u05d0\u05de\u05df, \u05e0\u05ea\u05df \u05d2\u05e8\u05d5\u05e1\u05de\u05df, \u05d4\u05d5\u05d3\u05d7 \u05de\u05ea\u05e4\u05e7\u05d9\u05d3\u05d5, \u05dc\u05d0\u05d5\u05e8 \u05e1\u05d9\u05e8\u05d5\u05d1\u05d5 \u05dc\u05e7\u05d1\u05dc \u05d0\u05ea \u05d4\u05de\u05e8\u05d5\u05ea \u05d4\u05e8\u05d1\u05e0\u05d9\u05ea \u05e9\u05dc \u05d4\u05d2\u05e8\u05d0\u05d9\"\u05dc \u05e9\u05d8\u05d9\u05d9\u05e0\u05de\u05df. \u05d1\u05ea\u05d2\u05d5\u05d1\u05d4, \u05d4\u05e7\u05d9\u05dd \u05d0\u05ea \u05d4\u05e4\u05dc\u05e1 \u05d9\u05d7\u05d3 \u05e2\u05dd \u05d4\u05de\u05e0\u05db\"\u05dc \u05d4\u05d5\u05d5\u05ea\u05d9\u05e7 \u05e9\u05dc \u05d9\u05ea\u05d3 \u05e0\u05d0\u05de\u05df, \u05d9\u05e2\u05e7\u05d1 \u05dc\u05d1\u05d9\u05df.\r\n\u05d4\u05de\u05d0\u05d1\u05e7 \u05e2\u05dc \u05d4\u05de\u05e4\u05e8\u05e1\u05de\u05d9\u05dd \u05de\u05d3\u05de\u05dd \u05d5\u05d0\u05d2\u05e8\u05e1\u05d9\u05d1\u05d9 \u05de\u05d0\u05d6 \u05e7\u05dd \u05d4\u05e2\u05d9\u05ea\u05d5\u05df \u05d5\u05d4\u05d5\u05d0 \u05de\u05dc\u05d0 \u05d1\u05d4\u05d0\u05e9\u05de\u05d5\u05ea \u05d4\u05d3\u05d3\u05d9\u05d5\u05ea \u05d5\u05d7\u05e8\u05de\u05d5\u05ea. \u05e9\u05d9\u05d8\u05d5\u05ea \u05d4\u05e4\u05e2\u05d5\u05dc\u05d4 \u05e9\u05dc \u05d9\u05d5\u05d6\u05de\u05d9 \u05de\u05d8\u05e8 \u05d4\u05d0\u05d9\u05d5\u05de\u05d9\u05dd \u05d4\u05d2\u05d9\u05e2\u05d5 \u05dc\u05d9\u05d3\u05d9 '\u05d2\u05dc\u05d5\u05d1\u05e1'. \u05d1\u05db\u05dc \u05e9\u05d1\u05d5\u05e2 \u05e0\u05d1\u05d7\u05e8\u05ea \u05e7\u05d1\u05d5\u05e6\u05d4 \u05e9\u05dc \u05d7\u05d1\u05e8\u05d5\u05ea \u05d5\u05d3\u05e3 \u05d4\u05d5\u05e8\u05d0\u05d5\u05ea \u05de\u05d5\u05e2\u05d1\u05e8 \u05dc\"\u05d7\u05d9\u05d9\u05dc\u05d9\u05dd\" \u05e9\u05de\u05d2\u05d5\u05d9\u05e1\u05d9\u05dd \u05dc\u05de\u05e9\u05d9\u05de\u05d5\u05ea \u05d4\u05d4\u05d8\u05e8\u05d3\u05d4, \u05d0\u05da \u05de\u05e1\u05e4\u05e8\u05dd \u05d0\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5 \u05d9\u05d3\u05d5\u05e2. \u05d1\u05db\u05dc \u05d0\u05d7\u05d3 \u05de\u05d4\u05d3\u05e4\u05d9\u05dd \u05de\u05e6\u05d5\u05e8\u05e4\u05d9\u05dd \u05de\u05e1\u05e4\u05e8\u05d9 \u05d4\u05d8\u05dc\u05e4\u05d5\u05df \u05e9\u05dc \u05db\u05dc \u05d7\u05d1\u05e8\u05d4 - \u05de\u05e9\u05d9\u05e8\u05d5\u05ea \u05d4\u05dc\u05e7\u05d5\u05d7\u05d5\u05ea \u05d5\u05e2\u05d3 \u05dc\u05dc\u05e9\u05db\u05ea \u05d4\u05de\u05e0\u05db\"\u05dc \u05d5\u05dc\u05e2\u05d9\u05ea\u05d9\u05dd \u05d2\u05dd \u05de\u05e1\u05e4\u05e8\u05d5 \u05d4\u05d0\u05d9\u05e9\u05d9 - \u05d5\u05d4\u05e0\u05d7\u05d9\u05d5\u05ea \u05db\u05d9\u05e6\u05d3 \u05dc\u05e0\u05d4\u05d5\u05d2. \u05db\u05da \u05dc\u05de\u05e9\u05dc, \u05d1\u05de\u05e7\u05e8\u05d4 \u05e9\u05dc \u05d1\u05d6\u05e7, \u05d0\u05e9\u05e8 \u05de\u05e9\u05e8\u05d3\u05d9\u05d4\u05dd \u05d4\u05d5\u05ea\u05e7\u05e4\u05d5 \u05d1\u05d2\u05dc \u05d0\u05d9\u05d5\u05de\u05d9\u05dd \u05dc\u05e4\u05e0\u05d9 \u05db\u05e9\u05d1\u05d5\u05e2\u05d9\u05d9\u05dd, \u05de\u05e1\u05d1\u05d9\u05e8 \u05d3\u05e3 \u05d4\u05d4\u05e0\u05d7\u05d9\u05d5\u05ea \u05db\u05da: \"\u05d4\u05dc\u05d7\u05e5 \u05e2\u05dc \u05d1\u05d6\u05e7 \u05e0\u05d5\u05e9\u05d0 \u05e4\u05d9\u05e8\u05d5\u05ea. \u05d4\u05dd \u05d7\u05d5\u05d6\u05e8\u05d9\u05dd \u05dc\u05d0\u05dc\u05d5 \u05d0\u05e9\u05e8 \u05e4\u05e0\u05d5 \u05d5\u05d4\u05e9\u05d0\u05d9\u05e8\u05d5 \u05d1\u05e7\u05e9\u05d4 \u05dc\u05d1\u05d8\u05dc \u05d0\u05ea \u05d4\u05e7\u05d5, \u05d5\u05de\u05d1\u05d8\u05d9\u05d7\u05d9\u05dd \u05e4\u05e8\u05e1\u05d5\u05dd \u05d1\u05e7\u05e8\u05d5\u05d1. \u05d0\u05e1\u05d5\u05e8 \u05dc\u05d4\u05d0\u05de\u05d9\u05df \u05dc\u05d4\u05dd, \u05d0\u05d1\u05dc \u05d6\u05d4 \u05de\u05e8\u05d0\u05d4 \u05e9\u05d4\u05dd \u05d1\u05dc\u05d7\u05e5 \u05db\u05d1\u05d3 \u05d5\u05e2\u05dc \u05db\u05df \u05d9\u05e9 \u05dc\u05d4\u05d2\u05d1\u05d9\u05e8 \u05d0\u05ea \u05d4\u05dc\u05d7\u05e5\".<\/p>\r\n Strauss, Bank Hapoalim, and Bezeq declined to comment. Unilever, Yafaura, and Chlalit did not respond.<\/p>\r\n Hafels: We are the ones who suffer<\/strong><\/p>\r\n The Hapeles newspaper told 'Globes: "The Hapeles newspaper does not take any illegal or inappropriate action against advertisers and economic entities. On the contrary, it is Hapeles that has suffered since its establishment in July 2012 from a proactive and organized campaign of threats and harassment against advertisers who chose to address the newspaper's readers for business reasons. The matter is well known, and this is considered an 'open secret' in the world of ultra-Orthodox advertising. In several serious cases in which advertisers were threatened that if they did not stop advertising in Hapeles they would suffer physical harm and acts of violence - complaints were filed with the police. We are also aware of advertising contracts that include a commitment to a low price in exchange for boycotting the Hapeles.<\/p>\r\n \""This is an unprecedented conduct that means issuing a liquidation contract on a newspaper for reasons of commercial competition and political differences of opinion. It should be emphasized that this was not done in an underground manner and on the personal initiative of anonymous parties. The newspaper Yated Ne'eman decided to publish an open and official directive to carry out a boycott of publications in Hapeles. Hapeles does not resort to any inappropriate means against potential advertisers. A brief investigation we conducted revealed that the appeals to advertisers are not related to the newspaper's marketing department, but are made on the private and independent initiative of readers who feel harmed by the boycott of the public and the withholding of information in an attempt to harm the freedom of the press and the public's right to know. To the best of our knowledge, these private initiatives are also done only in a legal, fair and proper manner, and if inappropriate things were done by anyone, we disavow this and condemn it unequivocally.".<\/p>\r\n Yated Ne'eman told 'Globes: "Yated Ne'eman is the leading newspaper and is accepted by the absolute majority of Haredi society, hence its power and influence. We apologize for the blasphemy that has been created and the unnecessary damage to the image of the religious and Haredi public in Israel following incidents of bullying that deserve to be investigated by the authorities authorized to enforce the law.".<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In recent weeks, senior executives have been harassed with hundreds of calls and faxes (even at 2 a.m.) from people presenting themselves as readers of 'Hapeles' \u2022 Among those harassed: Ofra Strauss, CEO of Bank Hapoalim and CEO of Bezeq","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[947,32315,41,815,948],"class_list":["post-3795","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-4","tag-947","tag-32315","tag-41","tag-815","tag-948"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n