Thousands rally against ultra-Orthodox extremism in Israel

A rally was held by thousands of Israelis in Beit Shemesh against ultra-Orthodox Jewish extremism following clashes after an eight-year-old girl said she was harassed on the way to school.

The protesters found support from President Shimon Peres who said that the entire nation needed to ‘save the majority’ from some ultra-Orthodox persons seeking to segregate men and women.

The demonstration was said to be the state of Israel’s way of defending itself from the minority attempting to break “national solidarity” according to Peres.