GIRLS between the ages of six and 12 are being targeted by angry Orthodox Jews in the Israeli town of Beit Shemesh, who claim that the pupils at the Orot Girl’s Elementary school are dressing in an immodest and slutty manner.
The BBC reports that, as the girls and their mothers make their way home, intimidating pickets of ultra-orthodox Jewish men have been waylaying them near the school, and have been yelling abuse and pelting them with stones, tomatoes and faeces.
Two protesters are pushed aside by an Israeli soldier
Hadassah Margoleese, whose eight-year-old daughter Naama is one of the children who have been forced to run this gauntlet of anger and intolerance, said:
These are little girls who are being abused every day and then they end up at night with nightmares. My daughter is anxious on a daily basis now. Â When walking to school, when coming home from school, she either smells something that they’ve done on our streets – yesterday there were faeces on the stairs – or she’s worried, she’s scared of just the noise.
One ultra-orthodox Jewish man who thought the protests were wrong is Shmuel Poppenheim. But he does think that the girls – and their mothers – should be dressed even more modestly than they already are.
The atrocious behaviour of these zealots is indicative of a worrying growth of fundamentalism in Israel. The BBC points out that the ultra-Orthodox community is expanding at a frightening pace. Right now it accounts for just under 10 percent of the Israeli population, but that is likely to double within 20 years.
And as the community grows it is likely that it will expect – and acquire – more influence in Israeli society.
Hat tip: Denis Watkins, Angela K, Noumenon and ZombieHunter
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
October 11th, 2011 at 11:43 am
Just what we need – more fundamentalist idiots.
October 11th, 2011 at 11:53 am
The religious love over-breeding, don’t they? At lease the Abrahamic (including Mormon) lot. Do Scientologists go in for it too, I wonder? “The E-meter says it’s a good time. Get your knickers off – there’s a Thetan waiting!”
October 11th, 2011 at 11:59 am
Arm the little girls with AK-47′s………. or Uzzi’s
October 11th, 2011 at 12:22 pm
These zealots really deserve admiration for the way they protect us from the lustful ways of little schoolgirls and their mothers. What heros! Throwing stones and worse. I do hope the girls don’t fight back as I hate to see grown men cry.
October 11th, 2011 at 12:26 pm
I have heard that one of the reasons these cowardly “zealots” join these clans is that they are exempt national service. Perhaps, the more agressive of these heroes should be made to do their NS as a “punishment”. That’ll stop them farting in church.
October 11th, 2011 at 12:55 pm
Another nonsense. They don’t deserve to be in the news.
October 11th, 2011 at 1:19 pm
They have a macabre idea of morality. Little girls in school uniforms are immoral sluts. Brutes in funny hats, dark clothes and with beards offering a comfortable home to lice, and who throw stones, tomatoes and faeces at little girls are moral. Another example of the baleful influence of morality on the human mind.
October 11th, 2011 at 1:23 pm
What is it with religiots that they have to find offence in absolutely everything? Can’t they just get on and enjoy life? What sad, pathetic little people they are.
October 11th, 2011 at 1:37 pm
But this isn’t just about the way that these girls are dressed, is it? This is another patriarchal, misogynistic belief system that gets its collective knickers in a twist – if you will forgive the pun – at every sign of women becoming more educated and independent. Their attitude is the same as the Taleban: heaven forbid that these females should break free from their shackles and begin to make decisions for themselves!
October 11th, 2011 at 2:08 pm
Words right out my mouth barriejohn! A bunch of men “intimidated” by defiance. RAH! RAH! Men are the best??? GMAFB!
October 11th, 2011 at 2:16 pm
From what I gather, the increase in Israeli ultra-orthodox activity is linked to the increase in US orthodox Jews taking advantage of Israel’s policy of being a safe haven for all world Jews , in their case only to escape communities where they’re legally bound to treat others as equals. Sad and unforeseen consequence of the original reason for the UN and human rights legislation back after Word War Two, if you think about it.
Re the stuff about throwing faeces – when one of these animals is on the WC it’s tempting to wonder how you can tell which is the turd – the dumb object in the toilet bowl, or the dumb object on the seat.
October 11th, 2011 at 2:21 pm
I wonder where they get the feces? Is it human, dog, or cow? Perhaps they move their bowels into a bucket? I dunno, seems awkward. “Ezekiel, what are you doing?” “Oh just shitting in a bucket.” Perhaps they have a penchant for 2 girls 1 cup?
October 11th, 2011 at 2:29 pm
I wonder if not for Hitler and suppression by Muslims, maybe Jews would be as bad as jihad terrorists today.
Religion needs to die,
science needs to prevail.
October 11th, 2011 at 2:49 pm
Deluded, sexually repressed men flinging faeces at ‘slutty’ children. Mmmm, that should keep the Freudians busy for a week or two.
October 11th, 2011 at 3:00 pm
Religion is a mental cancer. Sometimes it is malign, sometimes benign. The only cure for the dirty, festering variety is to treat it with rationality and reason, though unfortunately it far too often fails to respond.
October 11th, 2011 at 4:23 pm
If you would like to see these gilipollas at work, there is a BBC report and video over at the Richard Dawkins site.
October 11th, 2011 at 4:34 pm
OH NO SCANDAL girls being educated, though it seems most religious nuts are alergic to education.
This footage reminds of belfast a few years ago when militant proddie nutjobs were shouting and swearing at little girls walking to school, seriously the human race needs to go through puberty and leave this religion shit in the past where it belongs.
PS who is this ZomvueHunter person??
was it a mispelling on my part when I sent the e mail??
October 11th, 2011 at 5:43 pm
Regarding National Service, etc: Do you realize that most of these ultra-orthodox Jews are not Zionists, nor do they support Zionism? In their view it would be wrong to fight for “their land”, as “God” promised it to Abraham and his descendants, so he will “give it” to them when the time is right. They are therefore happy to step back and let others wrest it from Arab control, when they will smugly announce (you must imagine me using my world-famous Jewish accent here): “See? We told you that God would give us the land. What were you worried about?”
October 11th, 2011 at 6:13 pm
I speculate on the sado,paedo,scatological,sexual needs of these creatures being satisfied to the achievemnt of orgasm by this behaviour. Perhaps heaving faeces on respectable little girls in their uniforms is the only way these monsters can acheive sexual satisfaction. Of course, religion in its howl for morality justfies any behaviour however abominable. The unbeliever who verged from the true faith being roasted at the stake,limbs wrenched from their sockets on the rack, thumbs crushed by thumbscrews give evidence of what is acceptible to monstrous religion.
October 11th, 2011 at 6:24 pm
Sorry ZombieHunter, but that was the name on the email, and I assumed you’d changed your id.
October 11th, 2011 at 6:25 pm
Mea She’arim to ban women from certain Jerusalem streets during Sukkot
Large billboards posted throughout capital’s ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods this week forbade women during the celebration, despite court order
http://www.haaretz.com/print-e.....t-1.389237
October 11th, 2011 at 7:22 pm
As to isreals policy of safe haven, let every jewish zealot head there, the sooner the better, then we dont have to put up with them here.
October 11th, 2011 at 8:50 pm
Holey shit! These people are incredible. Religion sure is mad.
October 11th, 2011 at 11:21 pm
These pillocks are predicted to grow in power? Thanks America.
October 12th, 2011 at 5:19 am
It’s these … things (I can’t think of any term sufficiently abusive for them) rather than Hamas’ pathetic little rockets, which will be the death of Israel. And if modern, secularist Israel did collapse, probably the only Jews the Arabs would permit to stay would be these inbred cowards skulking in their filthy shtetls, precisely because only they fit an antisemite’s view of what a Jew should be.
October 12th, 2011 at 6:58 am
Some people should not be allowed anywhere near a school. They need to be on a register.
October 13th, 2011 at 3:52 pm
What I don’t understand is why this was permitted to happen more than once. On one occasion, perhaps the police could not react quickly enough. But for it to occur day after day is absolutely criminal. Surely throwing stones or anything else at children is against the law? Why are they not being tear gassed and arrested and all the rest of it? Why are they not in jail or court on assault charges?