Hundreds of Thousands of Ultra-Orthodox Jews Paralyze Jerusalem Protesting Israeli Military Draft

Hundreds of thousands of ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) Jews gathered in Jerusalem for an event called the “March of the Million.”

“An investigation is underway into the leak of a video depicting Israeli soldiers sexually assaulting a Palestinian prisoner at a facility, with suspicions that the leak may have come from people close to the police chief”

Al-Jazeera Net

The protest shut down roads, blocked most entry points to the city, and halted transit services.

Al-Jazeera Net

Over 2,000 police officers were deployed to manage the situation.

Estimates of the crowd size vary, with some sources reporting nearly 200,000 participants, others saying hundreds of thousands, and one outlet mentioning thousands.

Ultra-Orthodox political parties called on supporters from across Israel and the diaspora to join the march.

Multiple sources agree that the city was effectively paralyzed due to the protest’s scale and tactics.

Highways were closed and trains were halted, according to one West Asian news source.

Asian outlets highlighted mass road blockages and noted that the turnout was the highest in a decade.

The immediate trigger, reported across outlets, is Israel’s Supreme Court ending blanket draft exemptions for full-time yeshiva students.

The wording varies by source: some say the exemptions “lack legal basis,” others that they “must end,” and others that the ruling “declared blanket exemptions illegal.”

BBC

Asian and Western alternative sources tie the protest to a political crisis that could break Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition if ultra-Orthodox parties do not secure statutory exemptions.

Coverage also links the conscription push to military manpower demands during Israel’s war campaigns in Gaza and along the Lebanon front.

On the ground, reporting diverges sharply on confrontation and harm.

“An Israeli military official, Military Advocate General MG Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, resigned amid an investigation into a leaked video showing severe abuse of a Palestinian detainee by soldiers at the Sde Teiman military base”

CP24

The Forward documents ultra-Orthodox protesters attacking ultra-Orthodox soldiers, a police officer, and journalists.

Indiatimes says protesters fought police while blocking roads.

Thenationalnews says the event was mostly peaceful until a boy fell to his death after entering a construction site.

The Forward further reports organizers ended the rally but remaining protesters kept battling border police near Jerusalem’s entrance.

One unique detail is that some demonstrators carried a banner from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, whose leaders have criticized yeshiva supporters for co-opting hostage symbols.

The larger backdrop is Israel’s intensifying militarization and use of state force, which several outlets document.

Haaretz reports the IDF imposing “closed military zone” orders that expelled Palestinian olive harvesters and used tear gas on them.

Evrim Ağacı

Soldiers were also seen picking olives in Palestinian areas.

Ongoing Israeli military operations in Gaza have caused casualties.

An Israeli drone strike killed a Hezbollah officer in southern Lebanon.

The IDF shot dead a Palestinian teenager in the West Bank.

The BBC published a leaked video showing Israeli soldiers abusing and stabbing a detainee at Sde Teiman.

Five reservists were charged in connection with the incident.

Far-right activists broke into the base while military officials insisted on an investigation.

NewsBreak links the draft crisis to the reality of concurrent wars against Hamas and in Lebanon.

This climate magnifies the stakes of conscription debates reported by thenationalnews.

Ultra-Orthodox leaders argue that conscription destroys their religious lifestyle and that study and prayer protect Israel.

“Foreign ministers, including those who met with U”

Haaretz

Some rabbis accept enlistment for those not engaged in full-time study.

Haaretz

Thenationalnews cites about 14% of Israel’s Jewish population as ultra-Orthodox and roughly 66,000 currently exempt from military service.

The same source notes a small but growing trend of enlistment among this community.

NewsBreak quotes leaders who claim that their spiritual contribution supports national security.

Evrim Ağacı highlights recent arrests of men evading the draft and emphasizes the movement’s unity.

The Forward reports earlier arrests of yeshiva students and mentions a previous New York rally of 10,000 men protesting the draft.

Outlook India adds that defense officials desire ultra-Orthodox manpower but are concerned about meeting the strict religious needs of recruits.