A prominent ultra-Orthodox newspaper announced over the weekend that it supported the delegitimization campaign aimed against haredim serving in the Israel Defense Forces.
Haredi newspaper Hapeles, which represents prominent ultra-Orthodox rabbi Shmuel Auerbach, said that while it opposed violence, it supported the campaign against the "hardakim" ("haredi cockroaches"). The campaign against ultra-Orthodox soldiers began two months ago, and has been characterized by scathing articles, propaganda posters in haredi towns, and even an "anti-hardak" caricature competition.
Israel Hayom reported over the weekend that Hapeles said it was not responsible for the campaign.
Meanwhile, two haredi men were indicted on Friday on a series of charges alleging that they attacked police officers who were attempting to rescue a haredi soldier from angry mob in Mea Shearim on Tuesday. Yosef Brown, 22, and Yaakov Krishevsky, 21, were indicted for attacking a police officer, disrupting a police officer while in the line of duty, and causing a public disturbance. Initially, the Jerusalem District Court ordered that the two be placed under house arrest, but the prosecution objected, and the court extended the youths' remand until Monday.
Meanwhile, the Movement for Quality Government in Israel informed Defense Minister Moshe (Bogie) Ya'alon that if he went ahead with a suggestion to cancel draft orders already issued to thousands of haredim for this summer, the organization would take the matter to the High Court. On Thursday, the government told the court that Ya'alon was considering postponing the recruitment of thousands of yeshiva students who have already received draft notices, saying that it seemed inconsistent to draft them while the government was still considering proposed reforms to the entire military draft.