Haredim protest against anti-Semitism in Haifa

The haredim said anti-Semites had painted swastikas around the neighborhood and torn mezuzot from doorposts.

By MIRIAM BULWAR DAVID-HAY (TRANSLATED)
anti-semitism 88 (photo credit: Courtesy)
anti-semitism 88
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Hundreds of haredi residents of Haifa came out in a public demonstration last week against anti-Semitic activities by non-Jewish new immigrants in the Hadar neighborhood, reports Yediot Haifa. The haredim said anti-Semites had painted swastikas around the neighborhood and torn mezuzot from doorposts in actions that had become all-too-common, and had even physically attacked several religious residents. According to the report, the protesters gathered outside the home of one immigrant from the former Soviet Union, and demanded that he be evicted from the neighborhood. They said he had been responsible for many of the anti-Semitic activities in the area, and that he had even called for the killing of religious Jews. "This is a warning light and everyone in the city should be worried about it," one of the demonstrators said. "Anti-Semitism is raising its head and the Israeli public is responding with apathy. It will only get worse." Haifa police chief Dudu Ben-Atia said police were investigating who was responsible for painting the swastikas and removing the mezuzot, and said they were aware of "friction" between religious Jews and Russian Christians in the area. He added that the allegations against the man targeted by the demonstrators were being investigated, but that the man had said he would leave the neighborhood as soon as he found a buyer for his apartment.