Tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jewish men dressed in traditional black attire filled the streets of Jerusalem on Thursday, staging a massive protest against Israel’s mandatory military draft. The demonstration, one of the largest in recent months, has reignited a decades-old dispute that now threatens to fracture Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition.
Anger Over Broken Promises
The protesters gathered to denounce the government’s failure to pass a law safeguarding their long-standing exemption from military service, a promise Netanyahu has repeatedly made but not fulfilled. Many in the crowd waved placards condemning conscription, while others set pieces of tarpaulin ablaze as hundreds of police officers sealed off key roads across the city, according to AFP correspondents on the scene.
The demonstration came amid a renewed government crackdown on draft evasion. In recent months, thousands of call-up notices have been issued to ultra-Orthodox men, and several have already been jailed for refusing to serve.
A Tradition Under Threat
When Israel was founded in 1948, exemptions were granted to ultra-Orthodox men who dedicated their lives to full-time Torah study, a small group at the time. But the community has since grown rapidly, now making up about 14 percent of Israel’s Jewish population, or roughly 1.3 million people.
The arrangement has increasingly come under fire, particularly since the outbreak of war in Gaza in October 2023, as the military struggles to fill its ranks. Critics argue the policy is no longer sustainable, while religious leaders insist it protects their way of life.
Coalition Under Pressure
The dispute has driven deep divisions within Netanyahu’s coalition, already considered one of the most right-wing governments in Israel’s history. In June 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that the government must begin drafting ultra-Orthodox men, declaring that their exemption had legally expired.
A parliamentary committee is now debating new legislation that could effectively end automatic exemptions, requiring those not studying full-time to enlist. The move has sparked fury among ultra-Orthodox parties, both of which are critical to Netanyahu’s political survival.
Political Fallout
In July, ministers from the powerful Shas party resigned from the cabinet in protest, though the party remains part of the coalition. United Torah Judaism, another ultra-Orthodox faction, has already withdrawn from the government entirely.
Shas, which holds 11 seats in Israel’s 120-member Knesset, has warned it will pull its remaining support unless draft exemptions are legally enshrined. Such a move could topple Netanyahu’s already fragile coalition, which currently holds just 60 seats.
Deep Social Divide
For many in the ultra-Orthodox community, the prospect of mandatory service poses a threat to their religious values. Some rabbis fear conscription could erode faith among young men, while others accept that those not engaged in full-time religious study might serve.
According to a recent military report presented to parliament, there has been a modest rise in ultra-Orthodox enlistment despite strong community resistance, though the numbers remain small, at only a few hundred recruits over the past two years.
