Tens of thousands protest against military conscription in Jerusalem
Thousands of ultra-Orthodox men rallied in central Jerusalem on Thursday against draft military plans, widening Israel’s social divide and threatening Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition. (Video: AP.)
An estimated 200,000 ultra-Orthodox protesters converged on Jerusalem on Thursday to oppose the country’s military conscription, resulting in dozens of injuries during clashes with police.
Israeli emergency service Magen David Adom reported that 56 people were injured. A police officer was also injured after being hit by stones thrown by protesters.
The rally closed major roads leading to the capital as demonstrators from across the country gathered to oppose efforts to recruit ultra-Orthodox, or charedi, men into the Israeli army. At times the demonstration turned violent as officers tried to clear blocked highways and restore order.
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Ultra-Orthodox Jews protest in Jerusalem on Thursday, October 30, 2025, against plans to force them to serve in the Israeli army. (Ohad Zwigenberg/AP Photo)
At the heart of the unrest is a long-standing exemption that allows ultra-Orthodox men who study full-time at religious seminaries to avoid military service – a policy seen by many Israelis as deeply unfair.
Military service is mandatory for most Jewish men and women, but Charedi Jews have historically been exempt, a privilege dating back to Israel’s founding. They claim that their way of life – centered around Torah study and religious community – is incompatible with full military service. They fear that conscription will undermine their religious identity, expose them to secular values and erode the various community structures they have built.
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Ultra-Orthodox Jews protest in Jerusalem on Thursday, October 30, 2025, against plans to force them to serve in the Israeli army. (Mahmoud Illean/AP Photo)
With Israel fighting wars on multiple fronts over the past two years, the military has faced growing manpower shortages, prompting renewed efforts to end the exemption. The Supreme Court ruled last year that the scheme was unconstitutional and ordered the government to adopt a new conscription law.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joins other ministers during a plenum session of the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, in Jerusalem, June 11, 2025. (Ronen Zvulun/Reuters)
This statement has shocked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition. His ultra-Orthodox allies – the Shas and United Torah Judaism parties – quit the government in July, accusing him of betraying their religious base. Parliament has yet to agree on a compromise acceptable to both the charedi leadership and the military.
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Opposition leaders condemned the violence. Yair Lapid wrote about X: “If you can march in the streets, you can march in basic training and defend the State of Israel.” Benny Gantz added, referring to a video of a female reporter being attacked: “There is nothing Jewish about this behavior.”
