Thousands of ultra-Orthodox demonstrators protested in Jerusalem on Sunday against the conscription of Haredi yeshiva students into the military, clashing with police and throwing rocks. The protests, primarily led by the extremist Jerusalem Faction, saw five people arrested, fires lit in the streets, and the car of Housing Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf attacked.
The demonstrators, numbering around 60,000, oppose a government move to lower the age of exemption from military service for ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students from 26 to 21 and gradually increase their conscription rate. Protesters carried signs stating, “We will not enlist in the enemy army,” and “We will die and not enlist,” while blocking an intersection leading to a heavily ultra-Orthodox area.
Protesters also attacked former UTJ leader and minister Yaakov Litzman’s car, smashing its windshield. Police intervened, using crowd dispersal methods such as water cannons and Skunk water cannons—filled with foul-smelling water—to clear rioters. Several officers were injured, including a policewoman who was struck in the head and hospitalized.
The protests follow a High Court of Justice ruling mandating the conscription of ultra-Orthodox men and halting funding to non-compliant yeshivas. This decision has intensified longstanding political and societal tensions, exacerbated by the ongoing conflict with Hamas and the IDF’s increased need for manpower.
The head of the Porat Yosef Yeshiva in Jerusalem, Rabbi Moshe Tzedaka, criticized ultra-Orthodox lawmakers for supporting the bill, stating, “We will not compromise on the Torah.” Many ultra-Orthodox Jews believe military service conflicts with their way of life and fear secularization for those who enlist.
The government faces a challenging political situation, as re-legislating blanket exemptions would be difficult with opposition from some Likud party members and the country’s engagement in active military conflicts.
