Clashes broke out on Sunday between Israeli police and protesters from the "Haredi" (ultra-Orthodox Jewish) sect, who blocked roads leading to a military recruitment center in Tel Hashomer near Tel Aviv, protesting the conscription of members of the ultra-Orthodox community.
The "Haaretz" newspaper reported that protesters blocked roads to the recruitment center in protest of a scheduled conscription of Haredim into the army on Sunday. Police attempted to disperse the protesters and declared the demonstration "illegal." In a statement, the police described the protesters as "ringleaders," stating that they refused dialogue and continued to gather and clash with police officers, chanting "Nazis" and "terrorists" against the forces.
Haredi conscription
The police added that the ringleaders attempted to instill fear in the minds of military service candidates who had arrived at the recruitment office. The protesters refused requests by police officers to evacuate the area, prompting the forces present to use crowd dispersal means. According to the "Yedioth Ahronoth" newspaper, approximately 200 Haredim are scheduled to join the army on Sunday during a recruitment day dedicated to this group.
The newspaper noted that clashes erupted between the police and protesters on one side, and between the protesters and residents of neighboring neighborhoods on the other. It added that the protesters arrived at the location on transport buses from the cities of Jerusalem and Beitar Illit. Around 200 Haredi protesters had blocked Highway 4 near Bnei Brak east of Tel Aviv on Thursday, protesting the arrest of a draft dodger.
Political and legal background
For decades, Haredim received repeated deferments from military service on the grounds of studying the Torah in religious institutions, until reaching the exemption age currently set at 26 years. In June 2024, the Supreme Court ruled to compel Haredim to perform military service and halt financial support for religious institutions whose students refuse to enlist.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to enact a law in the next parliamentary session granting Haredim exemptions from conscription, should he form a new government with the help of religious parties. Preliminary results of the parliamentary elections held on Tuesday showed Netanyahu's camp winning 53 seats out of 120 in the Knesset, compared to 48 for Jewish opposition parties and 19 seats for Palestinian parties.
The results place Israel before several scenarios, including forming a government with support from Palestinian parties, a unity government, or moving toward new elections. Netanyahu (76) clings to power amid his trial on corruption charges, including bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. He has also been wanted since 2024 by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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