Ultra-Orthodox Jews Protest in Jerusalem Over Military Law
Mass Rally Puts Pressure on Netanyahu as Coalition Faces Rift Over Conscription Exemptions
- Tens of thousands rally in Jerusalem opposing mandatory military service.
- Protesters demand a law protecting exemption for ultra-Orthodox men.
- Netanyahu under strain as coalition partners threaten to withdraw support.
- Supreme Court earlier ruled that exemptions for ultra-Orthodox men had expired.
GG News Bureau
Jerusalem, 30th Oct: Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jewish men dressed in black took to the streets of Jerusalem on Thursday to protest against Israel’s mandatory military conscription, reigniting a long-running social and political conflict that threatens Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s fragile ruling coalition.
Demonstrators, many wearing traditional black hats and coats, gathered in large numbers, setting fire to pieces of tarpaulin and chanting against the government’s failure to pass a law guaranteeing their exemption from military service — a promise repeatedly made by Netanyahu.
Police deployed more than 2,000 officers and cordoned off several key roads leading into Jerusalem to control the swelling crowd. The protests follow a government crackdown on draft evaders, with thousands of call-up notices issued in recent months and several arrests made.
Since Israel’s founding in 1948, ultra-Orthodox men devoted to full-time study of sacred Jewish texts have enjoyed an informal exemption from military service. However, that exemption came under renewed scrutiny following the Gaza war in October 2023, as the military faces manpower shortages.
In June 2024, Israel’s Supreme Court ruled that the exemption had expired, directing the state to begin drafting ultra-Orthodox men. A parliamentary committee is now reviewing legislation that could end the decades-old practice, further deepening tensions within Netanyahu’s coalition.
The Shas and United Torah Judaism parties, both representing ultra-Orthodox interests, have warned that they will withdraw support unless exemptions are protected by law — a move that could collapse Netanyahu’s government, which now holds a slim majority of 60 seats.
The ultra-Orthodox community, accounting for around 14 percent of Israel’s Jewish population — approximately 1.3 million people — includes roughly 66,000 men of military age currently exempt from service.
While some rabbis argue that conscription would undermine religious devotion, others say those not engaged in full-time religious studies should serve. Despite growing pressure, army data presented to parliament in September showed only a few hundred ultra-Orthodox men have enlisted over the past two years.
