Orthodox Jews Clash With Police During Protest Against Military Draft (VIDEO)
Israeli police in Jerusalem employed force to disperse Orthodox Jews who were protesting the conscription of religious students into the IDF. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
In late June, Israel’s Supreme Court ruled that the conscription exemptions for the religious community have no legal justification.
In Jerusalem, Israeli police took measures to disperse a demonstration by ultra-Orthodox Jews protesting against the conscription of religious students into the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Since the establishment of the state in 1948, the Haredi community had been exempt from military service. However, the recent ruling from the country’s top court determined that this longstanding practice lacks legal basis.
This agreement between the Israeli government and the Haredi community had been renewed multiple times until it lapsed last year. The Supreme Court revoked these privileges on June 25 amid the ongoing military operation against Hamas in Gaza.
Military service is mandatory for most Israeli citizens, with both men and women required to serve between 24 and 32 months in the IDF. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant noted in June the urgent need for 10,000 additional recruits within the IDF.
On Wednesday morning, numerous ultra-Orthodox men assembled outside an IDF recruitment center, where those summoned for service are required to report.
They conducted a sit-in in the street, obstructing traffic. The protesters held signs and shouted slogans and religious sayings, with messages like “We will die and not enlist, Nazis” and “To prison and not to the army,” as reported by the Times of Israel.
A significant police presence was evident at the scene, including mounted officers in riot gear. As demonstrators continued to occupy the area, police began to forcibly remove individuals by pinning them to the ground.
At one point, some ultra-Orthodox men breached police barriers, leading to further altercations. Videos from the location indicated that at least one protester was injured.
The population of Haredi Jews in Israel is estimated to exceed one million. This religious group has generally sought to minimize interactions with the more secular Jewish majority. The ultra-Orthodox community contends that military service would disrupt their Torah studies, interrupt lengthy prayer sessions, and lead to unavoidable contact with women.
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
In Jerusalem, Israeli police took measures to disperse a demonstration by ultra-Orthodox Jews protesting against the conscription of religious students into the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Since the establishment of the state in 1948, the Haredi community had been exempt from military service. However, the recent ruling from the country’s top court determined that this longstanding practice lacks legal basis.
This agreement between the Israeli government and the Haredi community had been renewed multiple times until it lapsed last year. The Supreme Court revoked these privileges on June 25 amid the ongoing military operation against Hamas in Gaza.
Military service is mandatory for most Israeli citizens, with both men and women required to serve between 24 and 32 months in the IDF. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant noted in June the urgent need for 10,000 additional recruits within the IDF.
On Wednesday morning, numerous ultra-Orthodox men assembled outside an IDF recruitment center, where those summoned for service are required to report.
They conducted a sit-in in the street, obstructing traffic. The protesters held signs and shouted slogans and religious sayings, with messages like “We will die and not enlist, Nazis” and “To prison and not to the army,” as reported by the Times of Israel.
A significant police presence was evident at the scene, including mounted officers in riot gear. As demonstrators continued to occupy the area, police began to forcibly remove individuals by pinning them to the ground.
At one point, some ultra-Orthodox men breached police barriers, leading to further altercations. Videos from the location indicated that at least one protester was injured.
The population of Haredi Jews in Israel is estimated to exceed one million. This religious group has generally sought to minimize interactions with the more secular Jewish majority. The ultra-Orthodox community contends that military service would disrupt their Torah studies, interrupt lengthy prayer sessions, and lead to unavoidable contact with women.
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
