Viral video shows waves of black-hatted men pouring into the streets of Jerusalem, swarming main intersections as chants of prayer rise over the noise of traffic and sirens. In response, police have deployed hundreds of officers across the capital and set up barricades along key junctions to manage the surge of demonstrators.
Entry to Jerusalem is now limited to pre-approved buses escorted by police, while private vehicles are being diverted miles from the city center. Authorities say the closures are necessary to “protect public safety,” though ultra-Orthodox lawmakers accuse them of discrimination after Israel Railways shut the Yitzhak Navon station, cutting off the main rail link to the capital.
The issue of Orthodox military service has long been a contentious topic in Israel. Historically, the IDF has imposed a universal draft on its population while still offering exemptions and deferrals to various groups such as full-time yeshiva students, religious Jewish women, and most Arab citizens.
However, with manpower shortages in Gaza, Israel’s High Court ruled in June that yeshiva students are no longer exempt from conscription. The court also instructed the state to cease funding yeshivas that encourage their students to dodge the draft.
Resistance has been strong from the religious parties. Approximately 80,000 ultra-Orthodox men between the ages of 18 and 24 are eligible for military service but have not enlisted. Despite issuing 54,000 draft orders since last summer, only a few hundred have reported for duty. According to Haaretz, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is working to legalize those exemptions permanently to placate his ultra-Orthodox allies, Shas and United Torah Judaism.
Editor’s Note: While some may find the religious opposition to serving in Gaza puzzling, it stems from a deeply held conviction that preserving the nation’s spiritual character is as vital to Israel’s survival as its military defense.
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