Far-right Israelis threaten, attack left-wing journalist who dedicated a prayer to Gaza victims

Journalist Israel Frey

Ido David Cohen and Ran Shimoni report in Haaretz on 15 October 2023:

Israeli journalist Israel Frey holed himself up in his apartment on Sunday after dozens of far-right activists threatened his life the night before. They threw flares at his building in the ultra-Orthodox Tel Aviv suburb of Bnei Brak, and some of them pursued him after he fled.

After the war against Hamas and its allies in Gaza erupted a little over a week ago, Frey, who is left-wing and ultra-Orthodox, was targeted by right-wing activists over his outspoken criticism of Israeli policies.

In particular, he faced criticism for a video in which he recited the Kaddish Jewish mourners’ prayer for the victims of the war, including hundreds of women and children in Gaza whom he claimed had been “slaughtered.” Since then, Frey has received hate messages and numerous phone calls.

On Saturday at about 11 P.M., at least a dozen activists gathered near his apartment building shouting “traitor.” One protester, speaking through a megaphone, told his neighbors, “Just as you wouldn’t allow a secular person to live in your building, don’t let a murderer reside with you in the building.”

Frey reported in real-time to close associates that some of the demonstrators were trying to break into his apartment. As a result of the firing of flares, which was captured on a number of videos, one of Frey’s neighbors’ windows were shattered.

Initially Frey arranged to have his children evacuated without the involvement of the police. But around 2:30 A.M., three police officers came to his home to escort him from the scene.  Frey alleged that, as he was going down the staircase in his building to leave, one of the officers intentionally spat in his face and the other two didn’t respond when he complained about it. The officers drove him a short distance in a police vehicle.

During the ride, according to Frey, one of the officers elbowed him several times and accused him of “supporting Hamas and reciting Kaddish for Hamas.” Eventually, the officers accompanied him to his car after driving it to him.  In a response to this article, the police denied that Frey was spat at or subjected to violence.

Frey got into his car and began driving. He alleges that a short time later, two cars carrying about 10 protesters, whom Frey described as ultra-Orthodox followers of the late extreme-right Rabbi Meir Kahane, followed him at excessive speed through the streets of the suburb of Ramat Gan.

He headed to the Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, where he anticipated there would be security to protect him and security cameras to film what was happening. On his arrival at the hospital gate, he said he spotted his pursuers there as well.  A source at the hospital said security personnel there separated the two sides, and with the help of a friend who had been in contact with Frey throughout the evening, he managed to evade his pursuers.

The police responded as follows: “Contrary to what is alleged, the officers did not engage in violence and did not spit on the journalist. The officers extracted him from his apartment with a police vehicle and acted professionally. As soon as the report [from Frey] was received, officers arrived at the scene and began dispersing the disorderly individuals after a police officer declared [the gathering] an unlawful demonstration. After a suspect was arrested and order restored, the officers escorted the journalist to his car, and he departed safely. Regarding the use of pyrotechnic devices at the scene, searches were conducted to locate suspects and an investigation was opened.”

In response to a question from Haaretz about whether the detained individual was investigated in connection with the incident, the police said the individual was detained for refusing to leave the scene. He was released there and not investigated further.

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