Shouts, curses and the yellow badge: the Haredi protest against the Torah | Shlomo Shamir

In his column, Shlomo Shamir attacks the demonstration of yeshiva students against conscription, held on the eve of Rosh Chodesh Elul. He calls the participants 'desecrators of God's name' and condemns the use of the yellow badge as an affront to the memory of the Holocaust. Shamir emphasizes that the behavior is unbecoming of Torah-observant Jews and harms Jewish values and public dignity.

In an opinion column published in Maariv, Shlomo Shamir fiercely attacks the demonstration of yeshiva students against the conscription of Haredim, which took place on the eve of Rosh Chodesh Elul. He calls the participants 'desecrators of God's name' and claims that the protest, which included shouts, curses, and the use of the yellow badge, harmed not only the IDF and the state but also Jewish values. Shamir stresses that the use of the yellow badge constitutes an insult to the memory of the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust and to the humiliation of Holocaust survivors. He notes that the timing, on the eve of the month of Elul—a month of mercy and forgiveness—intensified the disgrace of the protest, as this month is meant for prayers and supplications. Shamir, who studied in yeshivas in the past, describes the days of Elul as special days of ethical discourses, and concludes by saying that the protest did not reflect the spirit of the month. The column expresses sharp criticism of the demonstrators' behavior, emphasizing the moral and religious aspect.