Man in extremist ultra-Orthodox group is nabbed on suspicion of vandalism, assaulting police officer and causing public disturbance.
By JEREMY SHARONHaredi orthodox Jewish men protest 311 (R)(photo credit: Ammar Awad / Reuters)
Yosef Meir Hazan, a member of the Sikrikim (Sicarii) extremist ultra-Orthodox group, was arrested this week in the capital’s Geula neighborhood as part of a special operation by the Jerusalem Police.According to police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld, Hazan was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of causing public disturbances, damaging property and assaulting a police officer attempting to arrest him.RELATED:Court denies appeal by haredi extremist over J'lem attack Police arrest one of the leaders of Mea She'arim 'mafia' At a Wednesday hearing in the Jerusalem District Court, a police representative requested a six-day extension of Hazan’s remand; however, the court granted an extension until “the end of the week.” He is expected to be released on Friday afternoon.
On Tuesday, a video was posted to YouTube showing Hazan directing various demonstrations and violent activities against the Or Hahayim bookstore in Jerusalem’s Mea She’arim neighborhood and the Batei Varsha complex in Geula, the focus of a violent struggle between the Sikrikim and the neighborhood’s Gur Hassidim.Hazan’s arrest appears to have been related to these incidents. The footage apparently shows him damaging the door to a store and engaging in violent activity against Batei Varsha.The clip also shows him dancing at a wedding with a Palestinian flag.The video was posted with a commentary in subtitles, as well as an explanation stating that the footage showed “the actions of the Sikrik Yosef Meir Hazan, the representative of Shalom Baruch Rost and Avraham Hirschman [two of the leaders of the Sikrikim group] who are imposing terror in the neighborhood against Batei Varsha.”
