Hundreds of Thousands of Ultra-Orthodox Jews Stage Massive Demonstration in West Jerusalem

Jerusalem, MINA – Hundreds of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews converged in West Jerusalem on Thursday for a mass protest opposing military conscription.

According to the Israeli public broadcaster KAN, the protest was called by Haredi rabbis and the Council of Torah Sages to oppose what they termed an “assault on the identity of the religious community and a violation of the freedom to study religion.”

“The people are with the Torah” and “Closing a yeshiva is a death sentence for Judaism” were slogans written on banners raised during the rally.

KAN stated that the protest marked one of the largest religious demonstrations in the country’s history.

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The Haaretz newspaper reported that protesters chanted slogans against the arrests of religious school students accused of evading military service in Israel.

Haaretz noted that the protest was a rare unified event among Haredi factions (mainly Shas and United Torah Judaism), which are often divided politically and in their relationship with the state.

Police completely closed Highway 1, Israel’s main artery, during the protest.

Israel Railways also decided to close the Jerusalem train station starting at 1:00 PM due to the congestion caused by the demonstration.

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Haaretz said that some demonstrators violently attacked an Israeli Channel 12 crew with boards and bottles, while a cameraman from Channel 13 was also assaulted.

Ultra-Orthodox parties in the Knesset announced they would continue to push for the revocation of the conscription law, asserting that “preserving the character of the religious community is an untouchable red line.”

According to The Times of Israel, 6,975 Haredi Jews have been declared draft evaders in recent months, 870 of whom have been arrested.

The Haredim, who comprise about 13% of Israel’s 10 million population, claim that military service threatens their religious identity and community structure, as they dedicate their lives to studying the Torah. Prominent rabbis have urged their followers to refuse conscription and to “tear up the induction orders.”

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For decades, most ultra-Orthodox men have avoided military service through repeated study deferrals until they reached the age of exemption, currently set at 26.

Opposition lawmakers have accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of pushing legislation to permanently exempt the Haredim to meet the demands of the ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism, both of which left the coalition earlier this year but are expected to rejoin once the legislation is passed.[]

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)

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