Thousands of Haredi Jews Protest against Draft to Enlist Them in the Israeli Army

Holding signs reading “The Israeli authorities are persecuting Torah scholars”; “To prison and not to the army” and saying that they would choose death over enlisting, the gathering included speeches from officials in the extremist Jerusalem Faction, Israeli media reported.

According to reports, some of the protesters clashed with occupation police officers securing the event.

Similar protests took place earlier on Wednesday in occupied Al-Quds.

As the Israeli occupation continues the brutal aggression on Gaza, amid ongoing confrontation with Hezbollah in Lebanon, there have been growing calls from the Israeli government and society to enlist ultra-Orthodox Jews, also known as Haredim, to serve in the military.

Last week, with Israeli coalition government unable to pass legislation to extend the exemption before it ran out on March 31, the Supreme Court made an interim decision ordering the suspension of state funding for Jewish seminaries if students defied the draft.

⚡ Haredi Jews block a road in Jerusalem, refusing to be conscripted for military service in the Israeli army. pic.twitter.com/OUVK4bvFXv

— War Watch (@WarWatchs) April 1, 2024

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu now has a month to find a solution, after the government filed a last-minute application to the Supreme Court for a 30-day deferment.

The Supreme Court gave government officials until April 30 to submit additional arguments.