'Malchieli is a murderer!' Shas condemns protests against MK over haredi draft law

The Shas party has strongly condemned a group of ultra-Orthodox protesters from the Jerusalem Faction who surrounded MK Michael Malchieli's vehicle and hurled insults at him. The incident occurred on Saturday night in Jerusalem after a weekly Torah lesson.

Footage shared on social media showed protesters banging on Malchieli's car and shouting "Malchieli is a murderer." Shas responded by labeling the group an "extremist, anarchist fringe group" that is "causing severe harm to the haredi public and the Torah world." The party accused them of cooperating with left-wing organizations to undermine the right-wing bloc and those who uphold Jewish tradition.

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This is an extremist, anarchist fringe group that is causing severe harm to the haredi public and the Torah world and is cooperating with left-wing organizations in an attempt to harm the right-wing bloc and those who uphold Jewish tradition.

The protest appears to stem from anger over Malchieli's stance on legislation concerning the military service of Haredi yeshiva students. While Malchieli has stated that full-time yeshiva students should be able to defer military service if Torah study is their primary occupation, he has also indicated he would "not ask for a collective exemption for the ultra-Orthodox." Shas asserted that "no thug will intimidate members of Knesset or divert the Shas movement from its path, the path of unity, Torah, and love of Israel."

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No thug will intimidate members of Knesset or divert the Shas movement from its path, the path of unity, Torah, and love of Israel.