Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jewish men gathered in Jerusalem on Thursday to voice their opposition to military conscription, a topic that has generated significant tension within Israel’s right-wing ruling coalition. The demonstrators expressed their frustration over the lack of a legal guarantee that would allow them to avoid mandatory military service, a commitment that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long promised to uphold.
Dressed predominantly in black hats and attire, the participants created a striking scene as they set fire to pieces of tarpaulin while marching through the city. Police had cordoned off several roads, deploying around 2,000 officers to manage the massive crowd and ensure safety.
The protest was fueled by recent government actions against ultra-Orthodox draft evaders, with thousands of call-up notices dispatched and several individuals imprisoned for desertion. Originally established in 1948, an exemption allows men engaged in full-time religious studies to bypass military service. However, this privilege has faced increasing scrutiny and pressure, particularly in light of the military’s challenges to maintain sufficient troop numbers following the outbreak of conflict in Gaza in October 2023.
The debate over the exemption has been a persistent issue in Israeli society, often marked by contention. Netanyahu has assured the ultra-Orthodox community of his commitment to legislation that would enshrine these exemptions into law. However, he has yet to fulfill this promise.
Responding to the call from two ultra-Orthodox parties, one of which is a vital member of the ruling coalition, men traveled from across the country to demand the preservation of their exemptions. As the crowds converged on Jerusalem, the police took measures to control the situation, which included closing major thoroughfares.
The backdrop of the protest includes a significant ruling from the Supreme Court in June 2024, which stated that the government must draft ultra-Orthodox men, declaring that their exemption had lapsed. In response, a parliamentary committee is deliberating on a bill aimed at ending these exemptions. This legislative move has left Netanyahu’s government, one of the most right-wing in the nation’s history, in a precarious position.
In July, members of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party resigned from the cabinet over the issue yet have not officially exited the coalition. The other ultra-Orthodox party, United Torah Judaism, has already withdrawn from both the government and the coalition entirely. Shas, which holds 11 seats in the Knesset, has signaled that it will retract its support unless military service exemptions are legally secured, a development that could jeopardize Netanyahu’s already weakened coalition, which currently holds only 60 seats.
While some ultra-Orthodox rabbis express concerns that conscription may lead to a decline in religious adherence among young men, there are others within the community who agree that those not engaged in full-time studies should be allowed to serve in the military.
Ultra-Orthodox Jews represent approximately 14 percent of Israel’s Jewish population, equating to around 1.3 million individuals, with close to 66,000 men of military age currently benefitting from the exemption. A recent army report submitted to parliament in September noted a notable increase in the number of ultra-Orthodox individuals enlisting, albeit still relatively low, with only a few hundred joining over the past two years, despite opposition from community leaders.
