Bnei Brak Municipality allegedly blocked road with dumpsters before Shabbat in protest - report

Jerusalem Post/Israel NewsTensions rise between secular and haredi residents in Bnei Brak as police say, "Secular people also intentionally provoke haredim, drive recklessly, and do burnouts."Follow us on GoogleHaredi protestors stand under a bridge, blocking a road near Bnei Brak on Wednesday, 17 June.(photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/MAARIV)AUGUST 29, 2026 01:45Updated: AUGUST 29, 2026 02:29Officials from the Bnei Brak Municipality allegedly instructed a driver to place multiple large metal dumpsters on the access road near the Sufrim Complex before the start of Shabbat, blocking the route in protest against secular residents driving through the neighborhood on Shabbat and amid claims that some are seeking to secularize the city, Ynet reported Friday.The municipality denied directing the placement of the dumpsters.Police were called to the scene by secular residents who claimed they were trapped inside the neighborhood. Officers removed the containers and reopened the road to traffic.Police summoned the drivers who placed the dumpsters for questioning on suspicion of endangering a traffic route.The driver alleged that he placed the dumpsters there at the municipality’s instruction.Haredi protestors stand under a bridge, blocking a road near Bnei Brak on Wednesday, 17 June. (credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/MAARIV)The neighborhood was established as part of the government-subsidized "Buyer’s Price" housing program, an initiative designed to help first-time buyers purchase homes at reduced prices. It is home to both haredi and secular residents.Tensions over secular residents driving in neighborhood riseTensions have escalated in recent weeks over secular residents driving in the neighborhood on Shabbat. Last week, haredi residents placed a fence on the road, but police removed the barrier, ruling that it was an illegal move.According to police: "Secular people also intentionally provoke haredim, drive recklessly, and do burnouts. Anyone who enters by car through the new Landa Bridge passes by synagogues. Secular people have another way to enter."Police said that no legal decision had been made to close the road and urged the disputing sides to resolve the matter through the courts.Follow us on Google