31.10.2025 07:51
Tens of thousands of Ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) Jews protested in West Jerusalem against the mandatory military service. The demonstrators, who gathered under the name "Million Man March," closed off some streets and roads in the city, demanding a law that would exempt Haredim from military service. The largest protest in Israel in recent years received a response from the main opposition party.
Thousands of Ultra-Orthodox Jews (Haredi) in Israel protested against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's government's mandatory military service.
THEY GATHERED AT THE TRAIN STATION
The address of the anti-mandatory military service demonstration, organized under the name "Million-Man March," was West Jerusalem. Tens of thousands of Haredi individuals, who demand a law exempting them from military service and oppose mandatory conscription, began to gather at the Yitzhak Navon train station in West Jerusalem from various regions of Israel.
TRAIN SERVICES SUSPENDED, TENSION ESCALATED
Due to the demonstration, which was supported by the religious leaders of the Shas and United Torah Judaism parties that withdrew from the government last July, train services in West Jerusalem were suspended. Meanwhile, the Haredim reacted to the suspension of train services from Tel Aviv to West Jerusalem, which made it more difficult to participate in the demonstration. Additionally, some roads leading to West Jerusalem were closed to vehicle traffic to hinder participation.
THE LARGEST DEMONSTRATION IN RECENT YEARS
In West Jerusalem, where life came to a standstill due to the demonstration, 2,000 police officers were deployed. The demonstration, attended by tens of thousands of Haredim, is reported to be the largest protest in Israel in recent years. The timing of the demonstration, amid the ongoing crisis between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and the Ultra-Orthodox parties, drew attention.
The Ultra-Orthodox party Shas, which previously resigned from their positions in the government due to the failure to pass a law exempting Yeshiva (Torah school) students from mandatory military service, announced last week that its members had resigned from their coalition duties due to the unresolved issue.
YOUNG PROTESTER FALLS FROM HIGH-RISE BUILDING AND DIES
Israeli state television KAN reported that a 22-year-old Haredi youth fell from a construction site high-rise building overlooking the protest area and lost his life. Additionally, KAN reported that three police officers were lightly injured in the scuffle that broke out between hundreds of Haredim and the police at the end of the protest. Mounted police were seen intervening with the protesters who did not disperse.
In a statement from the Israeli volunteer medical organization United Hatzalah, it was noted that 113 protesters received medical treatment on-site due to the clashes and conflicts with the police, and 9 were transferred to hospitals. Haredim were seen shouting at citizens passing by the protest area and the Channel 12 crew, throwing stones, sticks, and water bottles, saying "You are not Jewish," and "You are faithless."
ISRAEL'S MAIN OPPOSITION REACTS TO HAREDIM
Yair Lapid, leader of the main opposition party "There is a Future" in Israel, stated regarding the Haredim's protest on his US-based X account that instead of holding this "shameful" protest, the Haredim should enlist. Lapid said, "To all these young people participating in this shameful 'We would rather die than enlist' demonstration in Jerusalem, I want to say this: If you can go to a protest, you can also go to the recruitment office." He emphasized that Haredim would no longer be granted privileges, stating, "Everyone will enlist, everyone will work, everyone will go to educational centers, everyone will defend the state."
THE DEBATE ON HAREDIM'S CONSCRIPTION
According to Israeli laws, everyone over the age of 18 is required to serve in mandatory military service, yet the exemption of Haredim from military service has been a topic of debate in the country for years.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Due to the rising aggression in the region since October 2023, particularly in the Gaza Strip, the need for soldiers has increased, bringing the conscription of Haredim to the forefront. The Israeli Supreme Court ruled on June 25, 2024, that there was no legal basis for exempting Haredi men from mandatory military service and that those eligible for military service should be drafted.
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Due to the failure to pass a law that would exempt the Haredim from military service, Netanyahu's Haredi coalition partners began to boycott the parliament, leading to a political crisis that escalated to a vote on the dissolution of the parliament. Although the issue remained unresolved, a sufficient majority could not be achieved in the dissolution vote.
The United Torah Judaism Alliance, formed by the "Degel HaTorah" and "Agudat Israel" parties, which stated that the demands of the latest draft prepared by Yuli Edelstein, the Chairman of the Israeli Parliament's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, were not met, announced their resignation from the government with 7 members of parliament, thus leaving Netanyahu's government with 61 members. With Shas's decision to withdraw from the government, Netanyahu's government turned into a minority government.
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