Piles of garbage in Jerusalem as ultra-Orthodox Jews continue protests

In Jerusalem, violent protests by ultra-Orthodox Jews continued for the fourth day in a row following the arrest of an Orthodox woman on suspicion of depriving her three-year-old child from food. The child is now recovering in Hadassah Hospital. Doctors say the mother suffers from a condition known as Münchausen syndrome by proxy, in which a person deliberately makes another sick.

After the violent protests, parts of the city are now covered with garbage. Throughout the night security forces armed with water cannons and backed by mounted units battled the protesters, who hurled bricks and bottles at them and blocked main thoroughfares with piles of garbage.

Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch urged the leaders of the Haredi community to act immediately to restore order and peace to the capital. " It is inconceivable that entire neighborhoods and highways will be blocked and that the city would have to suspend municipal service for fear for its employees' safety," he said. "The police will continue to enforce the law and will prosecute rioters to the full extent of the law."

During this week's disturbances, Jerusalem City Hall cut off some services to some ultra-Orthodox areas, mainly sanitation, after its workers were attacked.

Meanwhile, Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin has called a special session of the Israeli parliament following the Jerusalem riots. "We cannot ignore the escalating situation in Jerusalem and it calls for an urgent discussion," he said. The session is expected to take place early next week.