Clashes erupted in West Jerusalem as Israeli police arrested three ultra-Orthodox Jewish protesters during intense demonstrations. The unrest marks the latest escalation in a bitter, ongoing conflict over mandatory military conscription for the Haredi community.
The newest wave of protests was triggered by the detention of several Haredi men who allegedly tried to storm the home of Israeli Supreme Court Deputy President Noam Solberg, News.Az reports, citing Anadolu Agency.
Demonstrators gathered at multiple locations across Jerusalem, including the Russian Compound prison, where the situation quickly spiraled into public disorder.
According to a police statement, protesters blocked major roads, disrupted traffic, assaulted law enforcement officers, and hurled objects. Authorities deployed stun grenades and mounted police units to disperse the crowds and reopen traffic lanes. Three suspects were taken into custody on charges of public disorder and assaulting officers.
Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported that the fury spread beyond Jerusalem. Haredi demonstrators gathered outside four different prisons across the country to protest the transfer of the suspects to military authorities. Dozens also demonstrated outside the Abu Kabir detention center in central Israel.
A mounting wave of anti-draft rebellion
The unrest follows a massive incident where Israeli police detained 65 Haredi Jews after the attempted raid on Judge Solberg’s home in the settlement of Alon Shvut. This is part of a growing pattern of aggressive resistance against the military draft:
Beit Shemesh: Dozens of protesters recently stormed a police station following the arrest of a draft evader, resulting in eight detentions.
Ashkelon: Demonstrators previously breached the courtyard of Brig. Gen. Yuval Yamin, head of the Israeli military police.
Rabbinical Backing: Senior Haredi rabbis have explicitly commanded their followers to refuse military service and to "tear up" draft notices.
Why the conscription battle is hitting a boiling point
The Haredi community, which makes up about 13% of Israel's 10 million population, has historically enjoyed draft exemptions to pursue Torah studies. However, a landmark Supreme Court ruling stripped away those exemptions and cut funding for religious institutions whose students refuse to serve.
Many ultra-Orthodox Jews argue that integrating into the secular military fundamentally threatens their religious identity and way of life.
The fierce internal standoff comes at a highly critical time for the nation. The military continues to mobilize hundreds of thousands of reservists to sustain operations across multiple active fronts, including Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, and the occupied West Bank.
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