US Edition200,000 Ultra-Orthodox Jews Protest Military Draft
- On Thursday, thousands of ultra-Orthodox gathered in Jerusalem for the "Million-Man Protest," scheduled from 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM, as Yitzhak Navon station closed from 12:30 PM and roads were blocked.
- Organisers say the rally responds to arrests of yeshiva students, including one from Ateret Shlomo yeshiva, and opposition reflects hundreds of arrests in recent months over draft avoidance.
- Transport authorities limited services as tramway service was reduced from noon, only pre-arranged buses entered designated drop-off points, and Jerusalem municipality and Ministry of Transport ordered closures with police checkpoints until around 7:00 PM.
- The rally crippled large parts of Jerusalem, with roads closed and public transport halted, Israeli police shut Highway 1 and deployed more than 2,000 officers, while one teenager died near the protest.
- The mobilisation matters because the Haredi community makes up about 14% of the population, while enlistment exemptions dating to 1948 face delays despite Supreme Court rulings and Israel Defense Forces cite manpower shortages after over 900 soldiers died.
137 Articles
137 Articles
Huge Protest in Israel Against Military Draft - The Ron Paul Institute for Peace & Prosperity
Hundreds of thousands of “ultra-Orthodox” men protested this week in the Israel city of Jerusalem in opposition to the Israel government enforcing a military draft of members of their communities. You may not hear much about the protest from American media, but a Thursday Times of Israel report provides a rundown of some of the protest activities in Jerusalem. The report also includes video and photographs of the protest. Addressing why the prot…
Several hundred demonstrators clashed with police, Israeli media reports.
Ultra-Orthodox Jews rally in Israel against military service
NewsFeedAround 200,000 ultra-Orthodox Jews brought West Jerusalem to a standstill to protest plans to draft them into the Israeli army, following last year’s court decision to overturn conscription exemptions for Jewish seminary students. The move has become a political headache for PM Netanyahu, whose coalition relies on their support.Published On 31 Oct 202531 Oct 2025Click here to share on social mediashare2Share Article Attribution | Read Mo…
The entrance to Jerusalem was blocked this Thursday by a tide of black and white: tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox men staged their largest demonstration in a decade in protest against their recruitment for military service, mandatory for the rest of the inhabitants of Israel.The corridors and escalators of the city's train station presented, as early as the morning, a picturesque landscape of white shirts, black suits, top hats, long beards …
Israeli ultra-Orthodox rally against army service
Tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jewish men rallied in Jerusalem on Thursday to protest against military conscription for their community, an issue that has caused a major strain in Israel's right-wing ruling coalition. The vast crowd were demonstrating to demand a law guaranteeing their right to avoid Israel's mandatory military service — long promised by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Crowds of men set fire to pieces of tarpaulin as hun…
The community was exempted from military service in 1948, but this requirement was abolished in 2024.
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