Dramatic footage: Police rescue 2 female IDF soldiers from ultra-Orthodox mob in Bnei Brak, arrest 22 suspects

Violent clashes broke out in the ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Brak after two female soldiers were attacked by dozens of individuals on Sunday. The soldiers barricaded themselves inside a building before being rescued by police. Officers were assaulted during the unrest, and a police motorcycle was set on fire.

Police have arrested 22 suspects so far and continue to maintain a heavy presence in the city, using stun grenades to disperse crowds while special patrol units operate inside buildings.

According to the IDF, the instructors were in the area for a routine pre-enlistment visit with a candidate expected to report to the Havat HaShomer base in the coming weeks. The meeting was intended to assess whether any special service accommodations were necessary ahead of military service. Upon their arrival, the two were attacked by dozens of ultra-Orthodox extremists.

Dramatic Footage of the Incident in Bnei Brak

Authorities suspect that several individuals, including ultra-Orthodox journalists, mistook the soldiers for military police officers sent to arrest yeshiva students. Telephone hotlines and WhatsApp groups quickly circulated alerts about the alleged detention of yeshiva students, triggering the violent unrest.

At the scene, Tel Aviv District Commander Haim Sargarof vowed swift action: “We will analyze the security camera footage and reach those responsible within hours. We fear no one. Officers were attacked, stones thrown and bins set ablaze.”

Upon his arrival, Police Commissioner Danny Levi warned: “Anyone who flips over police vehicles and attacks female soldiers has a problem with me.”

The incident prompted responses from across political and military leadership. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement: “I strongly condemn the violent riots in Bnei Brak against female IDF soldiers and officers of the Israeli Police. This is an extremist minority that does not represent the Haredi [ultra-Orthodox] society as a whole.”

In a statement, the IDF said Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir “views with severity and strongly condemns the attack on female IDF soldiers.”

“Any harm to IDF soldiers committed by Israeli civilians is a serious crossing of a red line and the attackers must be dealt with harshly,” the statement said. “The Chief of Staff expects that the attackers will be brought to justice.”

Police Commissioner Levi stated, “These unrestrained riots have crossed every line. Lawbreakers committed grave acts against symbols of the rule of law, including violence against security forces, causing damage and overturning a police vehicle, and burning a police motorcycle. We will hold all those involved accountable. We are a country governed by rule of law and we will not tolerate thuggish behavior in our country.”

Aryeh Deri, chairman of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, remarked: “These actions are completely contrary to the way of the Torah, harm the wider Haredi community, cause a desecration of the Name of God and inflict significant damage on the righteous struggle for the world of the Torah.”

Yitzhak Goldknopf, chairman of the United Torah Judaism party, said he was “appalled by the footage” and “strongly condemns the violence against security forces in Bnei Brak,” adding that it is “contrary to the Torah of Israel, whose ways are ways of pleasantness.”

After former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett arrived in the city, Deri called on the police commissioner to “immediately issue a restraining order” against him. “This instigator and agitator came to the city to inflame tensions and exploit the painful situation to collect votes. This despicable man, who spares no measure, is the last person who should be at the scene,” Deri said of Bennett.

Bennett fired back: “The real problem is not Deri, who behaves as if he owns the country, but Netanyahu, who sold it to him. While Deri urges healthy young Haredi men not to dare to enlist to support IDF soldiers, Netanyahu remains silent, backs him and pushes a draft law that abandons our soldiers. Every soldier, every woman and every man, should be able to walk freely anywhere in the State of Israel without fear – the rioters are the ones who should be afraid.”