Israeli ultra-Orthodox Jews rally in Jerusalem against military service

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Approximately 200,000 radical took portion successful the protest, bringing West Jerusalem to a standstill, section media reported.

Published On 30 Oct 2025

Tens of thousands of protesters person marched successful Jerusalem to request that ultra-Orthodox Jewish radical stay exempt from Israeli subject service.

Approximately 200,000 people, mostly men clad successful accepted achromatic suits and hats carrying placards denouncing conscription, brought West Jerusalem to a standstill Thursday, clogging roads and mounting occurrence to pieces of tarpaulin, section media reported.

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At slightest 2,000 constabulary officers were mobilised to respond to the demonstration.

One teen died astatine the mostly peaceful protestation aft falling from a gathering nether operation adjacent to the protest, constabulary said.

Banners seen astatine the protestation declared: “The radical are with the Torah” and “Closing the yeshiva — a decease condemnation for Judaism.”

The wide objection follows a caller crackdown, with thousands of call-up notices sent to ultra-Orthodox radical successful caller months and respective deserters imprisoned.

“Right now, radical who garbage to spell to the service are taken to subject prison,” said Shmuel Orbach, a protester, “It’s not truthful bad. But we are a Jewish country. You cannot combat against Judaism successful a Jewish country; it does not work.”

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men stitchery connected and beneath the Chords Bridge during the "Million Man" protestation against Israeli subject conscription [Ammar Awad/Reuters]

The statement implicit subject work — and who is exempt — has agelong caused tensions successful Israeli nine and go a governmental headache for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his country’s two-year warfare connected Gaza.

Under a ruling established astatine the clip of Israel’s instauration successful 1948, erstwhile the ultra-Orthodox were a precise tiny community, men who give themselves full-time to the survey of ineffable Jewish texts are fixed a de facto pass.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews marque up 14 percent of Israel’s Jewish population, oregon astir 1.3 cardinal people, and astir 66,000 men of subject property presently payment from the exemption.

Frustration astatine the exemption has grown amid Israel’s wars connected Gaza, Lebanon and Iran since 2023, arsenic the Israeli subject decease toll reached the highest fig for decades.

Last year, Israel’s Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the subject indispensable statesman drafting ultra-Orthodox men for service.

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men stitchery connected the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men stitchery connected the Chords Bridge during the "Million Man" protestation against Israeli subject conscription successful Jerusalem [Ammar Awad/Reuters]

In its ruling, the tribunal said that successful the lack of a instrumentality that distinguishes betwixt Jewish seminary students and different draftees, Israel’s compulsory subject work strategy applies to ultra-Orthodox men similar immoderate different citizen.

That ruling has had a destabilising effect connected Netanyahu’s conjugation government. In July, Israel’s ultra-Orthodox party, United Torah Judaism (UTJ), announced it was quitting the country’s fractious right-wing coalition, leaving Netanyahu with a razor-thin bulk successful the Knesset.

Parliament has been struggling to draught a caller conscription bill, which has truthful acold failed to conscionable some the ultra-Orthodox demands and those of a stretched military.

Israel is scheduled to clasp elections by precocious October 2026, with astatine slightest 11 caller governmental parties already registered and Netanyahu’s absorption erstwhile again searching for a mode to unseat him.