Clatters explode as Orthodox Jews demonstrate against army draft

(MENAFN) In Jerusalem, tensions escalated into violence on Wednesday as Israeli police forcefully intervened to disperse a demonstration by ultra-Orthodox Jews protesting the conscription of religious students into the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The protest highlights a significant shift in Israeli military policy that has stirred deep unrest within the Haredi community.

The roots of the conflict trace back to a recent decision by Israel’s Supreme Court, which declared that the longstanding exemption of ultra-Orthodox Jews from military service lacked legal justification. This decision overturned decades of practice, during which the Haredi community had been exempt from the mandatory service that applies to most Israeli citizens.

This exemption, which had been extended multiple times, expired last year. Amid ongoing military operations against Hamas in Gaza, the Supreme Court ruled on June 25 that the special privileges granted to religious students were no longer valid. The ruling mandated that all eligible individuals, including those from the ultra-Orthodox community, must now fulfill their military obligations.

In response, hundreds of ultra-Orthodox men gathered outside an IDF recruitment office in the morning, staging a sit-in that blocked traffic. The demonstrators, who carried placards and chanted slogans such as “We will die and not enlist” and “To prison and not to the army,” expressed their staunch opposition to the draft.

The protest drew a heavy police presence, including officers on horseback and in riot gear. As the sit-in continued, law enforcement began forcibly removing protesters, pinning them to the ground and carrying them away. The clashes underscore the significant friction between the Israeli government’s push for increased military recruitment and the deeply held religious convictions of the ultra-Orthodox community.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant had estimated a need for 10,000 additional recruits to meet the IDF’s demands amid the ongoing conflict. The demonstration in Jerusalem reflects broader tensions over military service and religious exemptions, highlighting the challenges Israel faces in reconciling its defense needs with its diverse societal interests.

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