POLITICS

Tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews protest military draft in Jerusalem

At Jerusalem’s entrance, tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox men rallied against plans to draft them, choking traffic as Israel closed the main highway, deployed over 2,000 police, and halted public transportation. The largely peaceful protest turned deadly when a teenager fell from a nearby construction site, police said; later, water cannons cleared holdouts. Demonstrators, many pledging jail over service, oppose legislation moving to a Knesset committee, the first step toward a vote on the enlistment bill. The showdown threatens Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s fragile coalition and could hasten early elections.

Reviewed by JQJO team

#protest #jews #military #draft #jerusalem