Tensions boiled over on Monday as radical ultra-Orthodox protesters flooded the Tel Hashomer draft office plaza. Demonstrators confronted security forces, pelting them with objects and shouting insults. The situation escalated when protesters hurled a water bottle at Merav Sever, a reporter for Israel Hayom. As the protest turned violent, police began making arrests and detaining individuals.
Video: Israel Hayom journalist Merav Sever attacked by protesters demonstrating against their conscription into the IDF as per the Supreme Court's decision / Credit: Usage under Israeli intellectual property law Article 27a
Organizers rallied under the banner "Stop the extermination trains," with community leaders urging yeshiva students to protest what they described as a "Holocaust" against ultra-Orthodox Judaism. Some protesters attempted to misdirect enlistees and pursued them, trying to dissuade them from joining the military.
For decades, ultra-Orthodox men have been largely exempt from mandatory military service, which is required by law for Israeli citizens at age 18. This exemption has long been a source of tension in Israeli society, with many calling for "equality in burden" – the idea that all segments of society, including the ultra-Orthodox community, should contribute equally to national duties and obligations, particularly military service.
Law enforcement declared the gathering illegal before taking action. Undeterred, protesters began rioting, breaking through barriers and resorting to violence. Mounted police were deployed to disperse the crowd, resulting in three arrests.
The protest is expected to grow as more buses carrying ultra-Orthodox demonstrators from across the country converge on Tel Hashomer. This marks a crucial test for the IDF, which recently issued 1,000 initial draft notices to ultra-Orthodox men holding pay stubs or driver's licenses.
Posters circulating in ultra-Orthodox communities decried the situation: "Since the state's founding, there has never been such a terrible assault on ultra-Orthodox youth in the Holy Land. Never before has the threat of conscription loomed over 1,000 young men in just two days – and this is only the beginning! Those who thought the decree only applied to working individuals are now faced with a letter from the 'Attorney General of Israel' to the army, shattering that illusion."
G., a 21-year-old ultra-Orthodox man shares: "They don't even give weapons to ultra-Orthodox soldiers who enlist. When there's a war, only my rabbi will decide if I'll enter Gaza or not. If Rabbi Landau, who isn't even my rabbi, becomes Chief of Staff, then we might have something to talk about."
