JERUSALEM (AP) – Ultra-Orthodox Jews attacked an unmarked Israeli police vehicle overnight, pelting it with stones and smashing windows while officers were inside and sparking a riot in which at least six people were arrested, police said Friday. .
Violence erupted in Bnei Brak, an ultra-Orthodox city near Tel Aviv. Tensions ran high between the police and the ultra-Orthodox community of Israel during the coronavirus pandemic, as many openly defied the restrictions on the closure of religious gatherings. Police wanting to break up weddings, funerals and other gatherings have often faced violent crowds.
The latest violence began when the crowd in Bnei Brak pelted the police vehicle with stones, smashed the windows and punctured the tires. The officers inside asked for backup, and when reinforcements arrived, the crowd blocked roads and burned tires.
“Police are continuing to disperse a violent and wild riot in Bnei Brak, during which stones were set on fire to police officers and tires in the middle of the city’s highway,” police said in a statement.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemns the violence and promises to take a ‘heavy hand’ against anyone who breaks the law or attacks the police.
Israel has reported more than 580,000 cases and 4,245 deaths since the start of the pandemic and is currently in its third nationwide exclusion, with most schools and businesses closed.
Israel has launched one of the world’s fastest vaccination campaigns, with more than 20% of the population of more than 9 million already receiving a first dose. But the arrival of highly contagious strains of the virus has kept the number of cases high.
Israel has more than 80,000 active businesses, including hundreds of people in critical condition. Authorities recently extended the closure until the end of the month.