For the fourth straight week, extremists among the Haredim have engaged in violent protests over Shabbat to protest the opening of a parking lot on Shabbat (and now also protesting over the arrest of a Neturai Karta woman who attempted to kill her child). Overnight last night and today they’ve thrown stones at vehicles, destroyed traffic lights, lit fires and other fractious acts.

Now these are people who believe it is a violation to turn on lights during Shabbat. It is a violation to carry anything, hence women aren’t required to attend any kind of religious services because carrying a child is considered to be work. These are people who put timers on their lights or hire gentiles to come in and turn on and off their stoves and so forth. Yet they are rioting on this holy day.

Have they hired gentiles to pick up those rocks? Do they have gentile representatives to throw the rocks for them, to attack and knock over traffic lights, to beat up the policemen, to light their trashcans on fire? GASP, it doesn’t seem to be the case. No, they are violating the sabbath themselves by doing work because, you know, if you can’t carry a kid then certainly picking up a rock and humming it at a passing car or police officer must be considered work. If lighting your own stove or turning on your own light switch is prohibited, is not setting afire the trashcan in your street also not included?

I just love the hypocrisy of it.