Haredi Jews took to the streets in Israel to protest mandatory military service: 10 arrests were made.

Haredi protesters in the city of Bney Brak in Israel blocked traffic and clashed with the police to protest against mandatory military service. The end of the exemption of Haredi individuals from military service, as ruled by the Supreme Court, has sparked controversy.

HAREDIM CLASH WITH POLICE IN ISRAEL

Ultra-Orthodox Jews (Haredim) protested against mandatory military service in Bney Brak, Israel. Dozens of Haredim organized a demonstration in Bney Brak, near the capital Tel Aviv, to protest against mandatory military service in Israel. The protesters blocked the number 4 highway that runs north-south and passes through Bney Brak. The police intervened from time to time to disperse the protesters who were sitting on the highway.

10 PEOPLE ARRESTED

The protesters, who resisted and clashed with the police, obstructed the flow of traffic for a long time. Moments when the police dragged some of the protesters on the ground were recorded on cameras. While some protesters called for violence, others expressed their preference for going to prison or dying instead of going to the army. The police arrested at least 10 Haredim who resisted.

REGULATION EXEMPTING HAREDIM FROM MILITARY SERVICE CANCELLED

In Israel, there is a debate on whether Haredim will continue to be exempt from military service after the attacks on the Gaza Strip that started on October 7, 2023. The Israeli Supreme Court unanimously ruled on June 25 that there is no legal basis for exempting Ultra-Orthodox Jewish (Haredi) men from mandatory military service and that those suitable for military service should be recruited.

DECISION AFFECTS 67,000 HAREDI MEN

The decision stated that those who are not recruited will not be able to benefit from publicly funded social and educational assistance. It is not yet certain whether the 67,000 Haredi men estimated to be suitable for military service will be recruited collectively or gradually. The decision that Haredi men must fulfill military service is expected to have political and social consequences.

THOSE WHO REFUSE MILITARY SERVICE WILL NO LONGER RECEIVE STATE SUPPORT

This historic decision has the potential to cause a new internal turmoil in Israel and fuel a cultural conflict. Those who refuse to serve in the military will no longer receive state support. The legal exemption that saved Ultra-Orthodox Jews from military service expired in March 2024.

FUND PROVIDED BY THE GOVERNMENT CUT OFF

In March, the Supreme Court rejected the request for an extension of the exemption of Ultra-Orthodox Jews (Haredi) from military service until a new military service law was prepared by the Netanyahu government. The court also ordered the government to cut off the funds provided for Haredi students who have not yet enrolled in the military office but are studying in Torah schools (Yeshivas).

NETANYAHU OPPOSES THE DECISION

In the Israeli Parliament, a bill regarding the exemption of Haredim from mandatory military service was approved by a majority vote on June 11. The bill was expected to be discussed in the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee of the Parliament for approval in the second and third readings. While opposition parties criticized the exemption of Haredim from military service, parties representing Ultra-Orthodox Jews in the Netanyahu government oppose the bill that would make military service mandatory for Haredim.

HAREDIM MAKE UP 12% OF THE POPULATION

Haredim, who mostly refuse to go to the army for religious reasons, make up about 12% of the population in the country of 9 million. The majority of Haredi Jews in the country live in the Meaşerim neighborhood in West Jerusalem and in the city of Bney Brak near the capital Tel Aviv. The coalition alliance of Likud leader Netanyahu, who won the November 1, 2022 elections in Israel, includes far-right parties as well as the Ultra-Orthodox Shas and United Torah Judaism parties.

Haredi Jews, who have many differences of opinion with secular Jews and refuse to integrate into the rest of society, mostly refuse to serve in the army because they believe they cannot live according to the requirements of their religion in the military.In Israel, there is a mandatory military service of 3 years for both men and women. However, Ultra-Orthodox Jews who follow the belief of Haredi are exempt from military service until the age of 26 if they receive education in Torah schools (Yeshivas). The coalition partner Haredi parties in Israel were planning to pass a law stating that "Torah education is a fundamental right" in order to secure legal exemption from military service for the segment they represent.