Dozens of ultra-Orthodox Jews (Haredi) demonstrated yesterday evening, Sunday, January 15, 2023, in front of a smartphone store in occupied Jerusalem, to protest against selling "forbidden" phones, that is, contrary to the Jewish faith according to their beliefs.

Israeli platforms broadcast video clips documenting the demonstration of large groups of ultra-Orthodox Jews against a store that sells "forbidden" mobile phones on "Malki Yisrael" Street in central Jerusalem.

The Palestinian children of Israel's landlords belong to Jerusalem.

pic.twitter.com/5szCZuDfk8

— Itamar Cohen |

Itamar Cohen (@Itamar_cohen_1) January 15, 2023

The demonstrators said that their protest was caused by the sale of "forbidden" mobile phones by that store, stressing that "these phones are not permissible."

Violent clashes took place between the Israeli police forces and the demonstrators, while the Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, called on the police to open an investigation into the violence of the security forces against the demonstrators.

מאות מפגינים מנים לפרוץ לחנות הסלולר במלכי ישראל pic.twitter.com/LeuKBQbasS

— Itamar Cohen |

Itamar Cohen (@Itamar_cohen_1) January 15, 2023

The Haredim use “kosher phones” approved by the Rabbinical Committee for Communications in Israel, which are phones that lack the advantages of smartphones such as the Internet, cameras, listening to radio and music, games, and sending and receiving text messages (SMS).

In January 2022, dozens of Haredim demonstrated in central Jerusalem in front of a smartphone store, to protest against selling phones that contradict the Jewish faith, according to their perception.

כמאתיים חרדים קיצוניים מפגינים כבר פעם שניה היום שעה וחצי ברחוב מלכי ישראל נגד חנות חנות ענק הסלולר בשל שהיא מוכרת פלאפונים שלא ועידת הרבנים הרבנים תקשורת תקשורת תקשורת תקשורת תקשורת תקשורת תקשורת תקשורת תקשורת תקשורת תקשורת תקשורת תקשורת תקשורת תקשורת תקשורת תקשורת תקשורת תקשורת תקשורת תקשורת תקשורת תקשורת תקשורת תקשורת תקשורת תקשורת תקשורת תקשורת ועידת ועידת ועידת ועידת ועידת ועידת ועידת ועידת ועידת ועידת ועידת ועידת ועידת ועידת ועידת ועידת ועידת באישור באישור באישור ועידת באישור באישור באישור באישור ועידת ועידת ועידת ועידת ועידת ועידת

— Haim Goldich |

חיים גולדיטש (@HGoldich) January 5, 2022

Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that 200 ultra-Orthodox demonstrators gathered in front of the store, located in the Geuleh neighborhood in central Jerusalem, which is inhabited by a majority of ultra-Orthodox, to protest the selling of mobile phones without the approval of the Rabbinical Committee for Communications Affairs.

In February 2022, thousands of Haredi Jews demonstrated in a street in Jerusalem to protest the construction of new tracks for the light rail that pass through their isolated neighborhoods, and they vandalized the iron fences there.

Haredi Jews

Haredim Jews are an extremist religious movement, and the word Haredi means: “pious.” These Jews deny Zionism, and the majority of them live in historical Palestine and the United States, and some of them live in European countries and move between them, and they belong in their beliefs to the Torah and ancient Jewish intellectual origins.

The Haredim currently number 1.28 million, and this current consists of several sects and parties belonging to rabbis (clerics) who direct them to live their daily lives according to biblical rituals and legislation.

Some Haredim who live in the Mea Shearim neighborhood of occupied Jerusalem believe that the state was not established at the correct time, and that politicians had to wait for the Messiah to come to establish the state and build the Third Temple, so the current state, in their view, is forbidden and illegitimate.

They believe that without their prayers, prayers, and love for the Torah, the State of Israel would not have existed until now.