A chareidi advocacy organization has sharply criticized Israeli President Isaac Herzog, accusing him of applying a double standard by swiftly condemning controversial remarks made by a rav while remaining silent in the face of what it describes as incitement and police violence directed at the chareidi community.

The criticism was issued by the organization Emes L’Yaakov B’Yisrael, which said it had sent an urgent follow-up letter to the President’s Residence protesting what it called a recurring pattern of unequal treatment. According to the group, Herzog responded almost immediately to the remarks delivered at Monday night’s gathering in Bnei Brak, yet has failed to respond to repeated complaints regarding alleged police brutality and anti-chareidi incitement.

The organization said its latest appeal follows an earlier, detailed letter sent on June 17, 2026, outlining claims of excessive police force and documented incitement against the chareidi public. According to the group, that correspondence never received a substantive response.

Emes L’Yaakov B’Yisrael argued that the contrast is particularly striking. On one hand, it said, the president quickly issued a public condemnation over statements made by a chareidi rav. On the other, the organization contends that he has remained silent despite inflammatory slogans directed at chareidim—such as calls to “beat the chareidim” and “run over every dos“—as well as allegations of police violence during demonstrations on Highway 4 that, according to the group, left people injured and placed lives at risk.

“When a rav makes a controversial statement, the president responds within minutes,” the organization said. “But when an entire community is subjected to selective enforcement and severe violence, the president remains silent.”

The organization also argued that the silence is particularly troubling because the Office of the President is funded by all Israeli taxpayers, including the chareidi community. Citing figures included in its letter, the group noted that the presidential budget for 2026 exceeds 85 million shekels and that chareidim, who comprise approximately 15 percent of Israel’s population, help finance the institution.

“It is unacceptable for the chareidi public to fully participate in funding the President’s Residence, yet when it needs basic civic protection from incitement and institutional violence, it is met with a wall of silence,” the organization stated.

According to Emes L’Yaakov B’Yisrael, the president’s conduct sends the message that the Presidency is quick to rebuke the chareidi community when it is politically or publicly convenient, but reluctant to defend it when it comes under attack. The organization called on Herzog to apply the same moral standard to cases involving incitement against chareidim and allegations of selective law enforcement, to end what it described as the selective use of public condemnations, and to meet with representatives of the organization so they can present the evidence they have collected.

The group stressed that its appeal is not political but is instead rooted in what it called a fundamental issue of equal treatment. It argued that the president is expected to serve as the president of all Israeli citizens—not only those whose causes receive sympathy in the broader media or those whom it is easier to defend publicly.

{Matzav.com}