On March 2, the Jewish holiday of Purim [in Jerusalem], when we celebrate the defeat of righteousness over evil, anti-Zionist activists in the Jewish community of Jerusalem have adopted the practice of hanging the effigy of a religious IDF soldier, in place of the wicked Haman, to symbolize their struggle to resist the draft.

The traditionally Orthodox Jewish community believes that the State of Israel and its military actions are forbidden, and therefore they are opposed on principle to army service.

This year, the hanging of the effigies took place in at least three different locations.

One would expect that a powerful government like the State of Israel would have more important matters on its agenda than to stop an expression of free speech by some religious Jews celebrating Purim.

Surprisingly, however, the government was outraged and sent an entire team of police officers, soldiers, and firefighters to climb up on the rooftops and remove them. They made a number of arrests, some of whom have no association at all with the activity.

The government’s rush to condemn and remove the hanging “Hamans” signifies just how seriously it feels threatened and humiliated by the growing movement of Orthodox draft resistance.