Fury at Ultra-Orthodox Jewish protesters who dressed their children as Holocaust victims because they claim they're being persecuted for wanting gender separation

Claim devout Jews are being persecuted for wanting gender separation in public places

Defence Minister Ehud Barak: 'The use of yellow patches and small children raising their hands in surrender crosses a red line'

Chairman of Yad Vashem, national memorial to the six million Jews killed by the Nazis, said use of Holocaust imagery was 'profound insult' to survivors

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish demonstrators caused outrage today by dressing children as Holocaust victims to protest against what they see as persecution of devout Jews seeking gender separation in Israel.

A boy wearing a cloth cap and the sidecurls of an Orthodox Jew was the centrepiece of the Jerusalem protest late on New Year's Eve.

His hands were raised in surrender and a yellow Star of David inscribed with 'Jude', Jew, in German, was sewn on his jacket. The image mimicked a memorable photo of a terrified Jewish boy during a round-up in the Nazi-occupied Warsaw Ghetto in World War Two.

'Nazis, Nazis,' some of the protesters shouted at police.

The Ultra-Orthodox Jewish boy wearing a cloth cap and a yellow Star of David inscribed with 'Jude', Jew, in German, sewn on his jacket, raises his handcuffed hands during a protest in Jerusalem's Mea Shearim neighbourhood on New Year's Eve The boy's appearance in Jerusalem echoes that of the youngster (right) in this image taken in 1943 in the Warsaw Ghetto when terrified Jewish families surrendered to Nazi soldiers. Earlier that year the residents of the ghetto rose up against the Nazis and held their ground for several months, but were defeated after fierce fighting in April and May

A group of ultra-Orthodox adults and children wearing concentration camp uniforms sit in a truck with bars. During the demonstration they protested at what they called the 'media campaign of incitement' being waged against their community

A Jewish family in Amsterdam wearing the yellow stars marking them out as Jews. The picture was taken in June 1943 and the family had just been arrested. They were ordered to leave their house and go to a Nazi concentration camp in Poland

Other children and young men were dressed in replicas of striped concentration camp uniforms at the protest attended by hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews in traditional black garb.

'Prisoner uniforms and yellow patches with the word "Jew" written on them in German are shocking and appalling,' said Defence Minister Ehud Barak in a statement.

'The use of yellow patches and small children raising their hands in surrender crosses a red line which the ultra-Orthodox leadership, who are largely responsible people, must not accept.'

Israel is in the grip of an emotional debate over attempts by Jewish zealots to impose and enforce gender separation in ultra-Orthodox neighbourhoods and other public places.

Much of the controversy has stemmed from ultra-Orthodox men trying to force women to sit in the back of public buses in deference to religious beliefs against any mixing of the sexes in public.



President Shimon Peres has described the debate as a battle for the soul of the Jewish state.



The issue jumped to the top of the public agenda in Israel nearly two weeks ago when an eight-year-old girl complained on television that ultra-Orthodox men spat at her on the way to school, accusing her of dressing immodestly.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has political alliances with ultra-Orthodox parties but is facing mounting public anger over such incidents, has vowed to crack down on zealots who harass women.

Israel is in the grip of an emotional debate over attempts by Jewish zealots to impose and enforce gender separation in ultra-Orthodox neighbourhoods and other public places.

Posters at the protest accused the 'Zionist entity' of carrying out 'an unprecedented attack on the ‘Haredi’ community', referring to ultra-Orthodox Jews.

Some groups within the ultra-Orthodox community do not recognise Israel, saying such a state can only be established with the coming of the Messiah.

'You will not be able to impose on us sinful (Western) culture. We will remain faithful to the laws of Holy Torah,' read one protest sign at Saturday’s demonstration.

Speakers at the protest singled out an activist, jailed for vandalising a computer store he deemed heretical in an ultra-Orthodox neighbourhood, as a victim of what they called government persecution.

Avner Shalev, chairman of Yad Vashem, Israel’s national memorial to the six million Jews killed by the Nazis, said the protesters’ use of Holocaust imagery was a 'profound insult' to survivors.