Hundreds march in ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Barak calling for unity
Hundreds of people participated in a unity march in Bnei Barak on Thursday evening, one week after a left-wing rally in the same city protested the ultra-Orthodox treatment of women.
The march was organized by two right-wing organizations, and some participants carried signs reading, “Haredi are my brothers.” [Haredi is the Hebrew word for ultra-Orthodox.]
The march started at the Great Synagogue of Bnei Brak, where a prayer was invoked in memory of fallen ultra-Orthodox IDF soldiers.
Berle Crombie, one of the march organizers, said: “We came here to say enough to hatred, enough to splitting, enough to division. There are disagreements – and that's fine – but the residents of Bnei Brak will not be the scapegoat for the schism. We came to embrace the residents of Bnei Brak, to tell the residents, 'We are brothers. We are one people with one destiny.’”
Despite a high turnout in the popular election last November, right-wing groups have had limited success in attracting the same large numbers for rallies as anti-judicial reform protests.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
