ARAD — Residents of Arad launched a protest campaign on July 2, 2026, against what they describe as a "takeover of the city by Gur Hassidim." Organizers cited violent clashes, selective law enforcement, and the transfer of municipal control to the Gur-affiliated party Agudat Yisrael.

Tensions in Arad escalated in recent weeks, resulting in violent confrontations. During one clash in a residential neighborhood, Gur Hassidim were filmed attempting to abduct teenagers. Separately, an individual identified as a member of the Gur community was filmed holding a knife during an incident.

Four Arad residents were arrested during demonstrations and taken for questioning at the local police station. None of the arrested individuals were members of the Gur community, and one was identified as a mother of five. Residents subsequently demonstrated outside the police station.

"The violence began on the part of the Gur Hassidim and deteriorated into violence on both sides," said Shlomi Tavachnik, an Arad resident. "The Gur Hassidim were the most violent during that incident. There is even footage of one of them pulling out a knife."

"They are carrying out selective enforcement," Tavachnik said. "They treat us, the city's residents, like second-class residents. That is why we decided that we would no longer remain silent, and that we would respond to the violence we have been suffering here for two and a half years and to the dismissive treatment we receive from the authorities and law enforcement." He added, "The Gur Hassidim launched a violent protest, and the people of Arad who are not Gur Hassidim paid the price. This included being beaten, spat on, and having their vehicles damaged, while the Gur Hassidim got what they wanted and the couple who were arrested were released to their home."

Tensions between the communities developed against the backdrop of municipal elections held approximately two and a half years prior to July 2026. The Gur community backed Yair Maayan, the winning candidate. The party affiliated with the Gur community received 33% of the vote, while Maayan's party received less than 10%. Maayan, who moved to Arad in 2023, relied on representatives affiliated with the Gur Hassidic community to form a municipal coalition.

Five of the 14 members of the Arad city council belong to Agudat Yisrael. These members, along with representatives from other religious parties and two members of Maayan's Likud faction, formed the coalition. The agreement transferred control of public buildings, including kindergartens and bomb shelters, to the Gur community. Additionally, developers affiliated with the Gur community received extensive plots of land in a new neighborhood planned for construction in Arad.

The growth of the Gur community in Arad was driven largely by members' need for alternative housing and the city's relatively low property prices. Hassidim began buying and renting apartments, particularly in older public housing developments, leading previous residents to seek new housing and many to move out of Arad. As the community grew, its residential areas expanded into other parts of the city. The haredi education system adapted existing institutions, including kindergartens and schools, to meet the needs of the growing population. After a missile struck a residential neighborhood in Arad during Operation Roaring Lion, it emerged that some bomb shelters in housing developments had been converted into kindergartens or synagogues.