Chaos in Jerusalem as Haredi Jews flood streets

Hebrew media report that as hundreds of Haredi Jews moved toward occupied Jerusalem to join the protest, bus and train stations descended into chaos, causing severe traffic congestion in the city.

This gathering, described as a “million-person march,” comes amid rising tensions between religious parties and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the military service law, which for decades had exempted Haredim from conscription.

Religious parties that withdrew from Netanyahu’s cabinet earlier this year are now pressuring for a law that preserves religious exemptions — a law opponents call the “Draft Evasion Law.”

Israeli media report that tens of thousands of Haredi Jews participated in the march at the invitation of religious authorities and Torah academies, describing the protest as a defense against “violating the identity of the Torah community and restricting religious freedom.”

Rabbi Gershon Edelstein stated in a declaration: “The Torah is the shield of the nation, and any attempt to force Torah students into military service is a spiritual threat to the Jewish people.”

Israeli police estimates indicate that participation may reach hundreds of thousands, making this one of the largest religious protests in the fabricated history of Israel.

Channel 14 reported moments ago that approximately 200,000 Haredi Jews had entered Jerusalem to participate in demonstrations against mandatory military service.

Some media outlets also released images showing groups of Haredi Jews protesting against compulsory military service at Savidor train station in Tel Aviv.

Haredi parties in the Knesset have announced that they will continue efforts to annul the military service law, emphasizing that “preserving the structure of the Torah community is a red line that must not be crossed.”

The Haredi protests intensified after an Israeli Supreme Court ruling on June 25, 2024, which required them to perform military service and prohibited financial support to religious institutions whose students refuse conscription.

Haredim make up about 13% of Israel’s 10 million population and reject military service due to their lifelong dedication to Torah study. They view integration into secular society as a threat to their religious identity and cultural survival.

Over decades, Haredim have avoided military service at age 18 by repeatedly delaying conscription under the pretext of studying in religious institutions, postponing service until the exemption age — now 26.

Israel’s opposition accuses Netanyahu of trying to pass a law favorable to the Haredi community to appease the Shas and United Torah Judaism parties, which had previously left the government and are prepared to return if the exemption law is enacted.