Massive protests in Israel against conscription

About 200,000 ultra-Orthodox Jewish men blocked the main entrance to Jerusalem on Thursday to protest against conscription in Israel.

The huge rally, dubbed the ‘Million Man Protest’, also saw clashes with police and attacks on journalists.

The Times of Israel reported this in a report.

During the protest, a 20-year-old man fell to his death from an under-construction building in the city center. Police are investigating whether the incident was a suicide. Hebrew media identified the deceased as Menachem Mendel Litzman.

According to the organizers, it was a “prayer rally,” but in reality it was a rare show of unity among Israel’s various ultra-Orthodox communities. Although these communities are usually kept to themselves, their joint presence at this protest is considered one of the largest mass gatherings in recent times.

Hours before the demonstration, a graduation ceremony for the reserve members of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)'s new Haredi brigade was held in the city's Western Wall area, in stark contrast to the movement.

Despite the deployment of nearly 2,000 police, parts of the rally got out of control. Some protesters threw bottles at a female journalist who was on live broadcast and harassed passersby. When the situation became chaotic, police used batons and water cannons to disperse the crowd. After news of the deaths spread, organizers quickly called off the demonstration and urged everyone to leave peacefully.

The main reason behind the protests is dissatisfaction with the government's plan to mandate the conscription of ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) men into the Israeli army and the recent draft law. In recent months, 870 young Haredi men have been arrested for avoiding military service, representing only 7 percent of the approximately 7,000 draft evaders on the list.

The controversy began in June 2023, when a provision of the Security Services Law expired that exempted Haredi yeshiva students from military service. The following year, Israel’s High Court ruled that the government must also conscript Haredi youth into the army.

However, very few students have joined the army so far. The government fears that a new conscription law could break up the ruling coalition due to strong opposition from the Haredi political parties Shas and United Torah Judaism. This has led to a long stalemate on the issue.