Matzav.com

[Video below.] Authorities on Thursday evening made public rare video footage from a raid conducted at a residence in the town of Yavne’el, after receiving information that a marriage involving a minor was taking place.

According to officials, when police entered the home, relatives present insisted that the gathering was only a vort, which is permitted under the law and does not constitute a violation.

Despite those claims, a search of the premises revealed items that appeared to contradict that version of events. Officers discovered a kesubah that they believe had been intentionally concealed, along with a glass designated for the customary breaking at a chasunah and a wedding ring.

The released footage shows the kallah, a 16-year-old girl, wearing a white gown, standing near what appeared to be a tefillah for the kallah. Outside the residence, police found a decorated vehicle prepared for the chosson and kallah.

Police said that the chosson is an adult man, and they suspect that the families involved attempted to present the gathering as a simple engagement while in reality conducting an unlawful marriage.

The release of the footage comes as tensions have been rising over a separate incident in the past day, in which a notice circulated announcing a vort between a man said to be around 30 years old and a minor. That situation sparked clashes in the area, as family members confronted local residents and activists who came to protest the planned event.

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[Video below.] Hundreds of young men affiliated with the Peleg Yerushalmi gathered Thursday evening in the heart of Yerushalayim, blocking major roads and shutting down the light rail for hours in protest of the recent arrests of yeshiva bochurim.

The police eventually moved in to disperse the crowd, deploying a water cannon that sprayed blue-colored liquid.

The demonstrators, identified with the kehilla of Rav Tzvi Friedman, assembled at the Sarai Yisroel–Yaffo intersection near the central bus station and the Navon train station, bringing traffic in the area to a standstill. For an extended period, they remained in place, preventing vehicles from passing and halting the train service.

At the conclusion of the protest, police stated that they had been working for two hours to disperse what they described as a disturbance. According to the police, “As part of the incident, a small group of individuals blocking the roads and the light rail route caused disruption, including the involvement of minors.”

During the course of the dispersal, five individuals were taken into custody. Police reported that all roads were reopened shortly afterward and that calm was restored to the area.

The protest led to major disruptions throughout central Yerushalayim, with the light rail service repeatedly suspended and multiple roads closed. Large police forces were dispatched in an effort to remove the demonstrators from both the streets and the train tracks.

As tensions escalated, a police officer officially declared the gathering illegal and instructed the crowd to disperse. According to police accounts, when the protesters refused to comply, officers began crowd-control measures, including the use of a water cannon that sprayed blue-colored water. Footage from the scene showed many demonstrators soaked in blue dye as a result.

Members of the Peleg Yerushalmi say the protest was sparked by the arrest of a yeshiva bochur in Herzliya last week. According to their version of events, the arrest was carried out through deception, claiming that a military police officer posed as a delivery messenger, contacted the bochur, and told him there was a package waiting outside his home, where he was then arrested.

Holding the protest in Yerushalayim marked a departure from the group’s usual demonstrations, which are typically concentrated along Route 4 in central Israel. This time, organizers appear to have deliberately shifted the location to the capital in order to catch authorities off guard.

Earlier, police issued a statement saying: “Yerushalayim District police officers and Border Police forces are working to remove individuals disrupting public order in the Yaffo–Sarai Yisroel area. The demonstrators are blocking roads and the light rail route, thereby disturbing public order. A police officer declared the gathering unlawful and instructed the protesters to clear the roadway. Since they did not comply, forces began dispersing them using force and a water cannon in order to restore order and reopen the roads for public use.”

Police added: “The Israel Police will continue to allow lawful protest and freedom of expression. At the same time, we will not allow a blatant disruption of public order that harms freedom of movement, and we will act decisively to restore order.”

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