The shattered windows at the home of the Deputy Supreme Court Chief Justice are more than just an ugly act of vandalism. They should sound a much deeper alarm. They likely signal a dangerous new phase in the evolution of political-religious violence emerging from the radical fringes of ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) society, a brand of violence that is no longer content with mere protest, but seeks to intimidate, threaten, and undermine the authority of state institutions.

The danger does not stop there. The truly ominous scenario is the possibility that radical Haredi violence will converge, even if not formally or structurally, with the operational methods of the radical messianic right. This is particularly plausible if the next government is perceived as center-left and attempts to pass a meaningful Haredi military conscription law. In such a scenario, Haredi extremists on one side and nationalist-messianic extremists on the other could find themselves on the same side of the barricades, facing off against the state.

For decades, the concept of “Jewish terrorism” was primarily associated with radical groups within the religious-nationalist camp, specifically elements operating out of the occupied West Bank settlements. There, land, messianism, and extreme nationalism fused into a worldview that views the state as a legitimate tool only as long as it serves their goals. When the state restricts, evacuates, arrests, or prosecutes, it becomes, in the eyes of these elements, the enemy.

Yet alongside this phenomenon, another equally disturbing arena is developing within the margins of Haredi society. For years, many tended to dismiss radical Haredi violence as localized religious zealotry, unruly protests, or isolated disturbances. But when violence is directed at judges, law enforcement, public institutions, and symbols of governance, it becomes far harder to brush aside as a marginal outburst.

A significant portion of Haredi society views the secular state as a hostile entity lacking true legitimacy. To them, the courts, the police, planning authorities, the education system, and the IDF are not public institutions, but rather arms of a world that threatens the Haredi........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)