Chareidi Man Verbally Harassed on Bus Bites Back

A chareidi man was verbally harassed by a woman who assumed he had not served in the IDF because of his religious attire while riding a bus in Hod HaSharon on Monday.

The man, Yisrael Yonatan Hirsch, captured the incident on video, which went viral.

As per the footage, the passenger verbally attacked Hirsch, accusing him of draft evasion. Hirsch responded, questioning her audacity to cast doubt on his military background and faith in front of a bus filled with other passengers, adding that he had, in fact, served in the army.

The woman then asked him, “So why are you wearing a kippah?”

Hirsch responded: “Why? Because that’s my belief and my right. And I live here in Hod HaSharon and it’s my right to travel on the bus here. And it’s unbelievable that every time I get on a bus in Hod HaSharon, in the city I live, I get scornful remarks from people like you. It’s my right to walk around exactly how I like, with a shtreimel, with a kippah, with a white shirt. That’s democracy! And it’s simply shameful how you’re behaving.”

Despite presenting clear arguments that undermined the basis of the accusations against him, he continued to face derogatory comments regarding his appearance until he decided to conclude the conversation by leaving the bus.

Instances of violence and incitement against the chareidi community are on the rise. This is true in almost any setting, whether in the corridors of hospitals, workplaces or on the street.