Yesterday, April 15, 2018 masses of protesters blocked the entrance of the IDF Recruiting office on Rashi Street in Jerusalem in order to prevent the transfer of a religious Jewish girl named Yuval Dadon to military prison for her refusal to serve in the Israeli army.
The police used all methods at their disposal to disperse the protesters including brutal beatings, arrests and water cannons at successive high pressure at close range directed at the protesters. Police trampled on the protestors with horses, and fired more than one hundred stun grenades at point blank range, in violation of international law. Dozens in the crowd sustained severe eye and ear injuries, as well as wounds to other parts of their bodies. The heat of the explosions singed their clothing and broke their glasses. Many of the wounded were taken for medical treatment. Four police officers were also injured by their own grenades.
Only after 6 hours of this ongoing protest, the police finally manage to arrest the innocent girl.
The images of the scene are shocking. Videos show the police attacking women, elderly and children.
From the time of her detention at about noon on Sunday, the victim Dadon was given no food for a full day. On the next morning they offered only non-kosher food, which this religious girl refused to accept.. At about noon on Monday Dadon fainted and was transferred to the hospital.
Ever since the State of Israel was founded, religious Jews have been staunchly opposed to serving in its army because they believe that the State and its wars are contrary to the Jewish religion. Indeed, when the Zionist movement began, it was denounced by all the Rabbinic authorities of the time as a violation of Judaism. The Talmud, the central Jewish legal text, states clearly that Jews are forbidden to leave exile on their own and establish a sovereign state, or fight wars against other nations. This is in addition to the most cardinal sins constantly committed in the IDF: heresy, immoral conduct and murder.
At one point toward the beginning of the protest, a policeman rode his motorcycle into the midst of the crowd and then deliberately gunned the motor to produce a cloud of dangerous exhaust fumes. After 20 minutes of this, the motorcycle burst into flames. The Israeli police said in a statement that: "For a reason that is not yet clear, smoke is coming out of a police motorcycle and the demonstrators are celebrating it." Of course, they did not wish to publicize the real reason for the failure of the motorcycle.