Thursday, January 30, 2025

Ultra-Orthodox Extremists Protest Haredi Soldier Event in Jerusalem, Clashing with Police

The protest, reported by the Ynet news site, saw protesters harassing individuals arriving at the event, chanting slogans such as “We’ll die and won’t enlist,” and hurling insults at law enforcement officers, calling them “Nazis”

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JERUSALEM — Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox extremists took to the streets outside Jerusalem’s International Convention Center on Tuesday, blocking a central road in protest of an event organized to honor Haredi soldiers.

The protest, which took place on Shazar Boulevard, erupted into violence as demonstrators clashed with law enforcement and attendees of the event.

The protest, reported by the Ynet news site, saw protesters harassing individuals arriving at the event, chanting slogans such as “We’ll die and won’t enlist,” and hurling insults at law enforcement officers, calling them “Nazis.”

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Tensions escalated as protesters attempted to break into the event, which was sponsored by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and other organizations, but were repelled by police forces.

At the heart of the protest was the hardline stance against ultra-Orthodox military service. The extremists oppose the idea of Haredi enlistment, fearing that serving in the IDF could lead to the secularization of their community.

As the Knesset moves forward with legislation to draft more Haredim into the military, and with the IDF intensifying its efforts to enforce draft dodging, the protests have grown in size and intensity in recent days.

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Protesters distributed flyers accusing Shas party leader Aryeh Deri, a key figure in the draft compromise talks, of being a “murderer of souls.”

Deri’s involvement in discussions regarding a bill to draft yeshiva students has been met with backlash from hardliners, who view his stance as a betrayal of their values.

The event itself, held at the Jerusalem Convention Center, was organized to mark the 25th anniversary of the military’s creation of designated service options for ultra-Orthodox individuals.

These efforts, which include the Netzah Yehuda battalion, have been controversial, with the battalion facing scrutiny for alleged human rights abuses. The event also featured a job fair aimed at helping Haredi army veterans integrate into the workforce.

The push for greater Haredi military participation comes at a time of significant strain on the IDF, which is grappling with a personnel shortage amid the ongoing war in Gaza.

While roughly 70,000 Haredi males are eligible for military service, most have been exempted, leaving the army with a shortfall of approximately 10,000 troops.

In response, the IDF has worked to accommodate Haredi recruits, introducing gender-segregated units and even opening the first Haredi brigade and air force technical unit.

The issue of Haredi military service has long been a contentious one, and recent developments have added fuel to the fire.

In June, Israel’s High Court ruled that the exemption for yeshiva students no longer had a legal basis, prompting the government to draft a compromise law.

Since the ruling, the IDF has sent out thousands of draft orders, but compliance has been low, with only a small fraction of recipients appearing at induction centers.

The protests in Jerusalem come as Israel’s Haredi community, numbering approximately 1.3 million, continues to grow, with projections indicating they will comprise nearly a third of the population within three decades.

As the debate over Haredi military service intensifies, the divide between the ultra-Orthodox community and mainstream Israeli society seems to be widening, with no resolution in sight.

 

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