Tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews have staged violent protests across Israel after the military resumed arresting draft-dodgers, with demonstrators blocking roads, storming a police commander’s home, and burning the national flag in defiance of a landmark court ruling.
Large-scale protests have taken place in Israel by members of the Haredi community against military conscription and the arrest of draft evaders. The demonstrators have declared that they will not serve in the armed forces and will instead dedicate their lives to the study of the Torah.
The fresh wave of unrest was triggered by the Israeli military’s decision to resume its campaign of detaining those who fail to report for service. According to Israeli media, the authorities had temporarily suspended such arrests during the recent conflict with Iran.
Several days ago, a group of protesters broke into the home of the head of the military police in Ashkelon. Following the incident, police detained 25 individuals.
A day later, activists blocked the entrance to Jerusalem, causing severe disruption to traffic.
The Haredim (ultra-Orthodox Jews) make up approximately 13% of Israel’s population of roughly 10 million. During the protests, they chanted slogans including “We would rather die than be drafted into the army” and set fire to the Israeli flag.
In the summer of 2024, Israel’s Supreme Court ruled that ultra-Orthodox Jews must serve in the military on the same basis as other citizens, effectively ending the long-standing exemptions they had enjoyed from conscription. The ruling has provoked fierce resistance from ultra-Orthodox political parties.
