Large protests have been held against the conscription of yeshiva students in Israel and worldwide. Two of these protests had more than 200,000 participants and were significant in the ultra-Orthodox community:[3]
Ultra-Orthodox (haredi) Jews, are dedicated to learningTorah their whole life, as written onBook of Joshua: "לֹא יָמוּשׁ סֵפֶר הַתּוֹרָה הַזֶּה מִפִּיךָ, וְהָגִיתָ בּוֹ יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה, לְמַעַן תִּשְׁמֹר לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּכָל הַכָּתוּב בּוֹ, כִּי אָז תַּצְלִיחַ אֶת דְּרָכֶךָ וְאָז תַּשְׂכִּיל" (translation: "Never stop reciting these teachings. You must think about them night and day so that you will faithfully do everything written in them. Only then will you prosper and succeed"). Over the years, secular Jews have attempted to change thestatus quo regarding the conscription of haredi Jews to Israeli Defense Forces. For example, in 1998, theSupreme Court of Israel ruled that theMinister of Defense does not have the authority to grant yeshiva members an exemption from service.[2]
Despite numerous attempts to conscript haredi Jews to the Israeli Defense Forces, the number of haredi Jews conscripted per year is around 1,261,[4] while all secular Jews get conscripted to Israeli Defense Forces.
Timeline
2013
27 June - ultra-Orthodox Jews protested in front of the EU headquarters inBrussels, Belgium against Israel attempting to draft Orthodoxyeshiva students.[5][6]
2014
In 2014, Shaked Committee promoted a law intended to conscript ultra-Orthodox, causing outrage in the haredi communities.
March - A protest in London drew 4,000 protesters.[7]
March - hundreds of thousands of ultra-orthodox Jews protested against Netanyahu.[8]
2015
2 February - Following an incident where an ultra-Orthodox Jew was arrested for refusing to join the Israeli Defense Forces, hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews blocked roads in Israel, in the cities ofAshdod,Hadera,Bnei Brak,Elad and more, About 50 were arrested, a policeman was slightly injured.[9]
2016
21 August - Following an incident where an ultra-Orthodox Jew was arrested for refusing to join the Israeli Defense Forces, riots were held in Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh. stones were thrown at Israeli policeman. 3 were arrested.[10]
2017
In 2017, Supreme Court rules that "Tal law" must be repealed.
8 February - ultra-Orthodox Jews from Jerusalem Faction blocked many places in Israel. 3 policeman were injured and 50 protesters were arrested.[11]
29 March - ultra-Orthodox Jews from Edah HaChareidis and Jerusalem Faction were in a huge rally against the conscription and arrest of refusers. 30 were arrested.[12]
11 June - a rally was held at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Close to 20,000 Haredim attended. The speakers included RabbiAaron Schechter, rosh yeshiva ofYeshivas Chaim Berlin, Rabbi Leibish Leiser ofPshevorsk, known as The Pshevorsker Rebbe, one of the most prominent leaders of the Haredi community of Antwerp, Belgium, and Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro, author ofThe Empty Wagon: Zionism's Journey from Identity Crisis to Identity Theft. A letter was read fromRabbi Aharon Feldman, the rosh yeshiva ofYeshivas Ner Yisroel in Baltimore, who wasn't able to attend in person. Rabbi Schechter lambasted the attempt to draft Orthodox Jews as an assault on the essential characteristics of religious Jews.
26 October - hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews held a protest atKikar HaShabbat in Jerusalem. 5 were arrested.[13]
26 November - ultra-Orthodox Jews blockedChords Bridge. 36 were arrested.[14]
2018
8 March - ultra-Orthodox Jews from the Jerusalem Faction protested in different places in Jerusalem.[15]
22 March - ultra-Orthodox Jews from the Jerusalem Faction blocked entrance to Jerusalem. 28 were arrested.[16]
5 July -Edah HaChareidis held a protest at Kikar HaShabbat in Jerusalem, chanting "We'll die and not conscript".[17]
6 August - 500 ultra-Orthodox Jews from the Jerusalem Faction protested in Bnei Brak. 29 were arrested.[18]
2019
7 March - Following an incident where an ultra-Orthodox Jew was arrested for refusing to join the Israeli Defense Forces, more than 500 from the Jerusalem Faction blocked main roads in Jerusalem. they changed "We'll die and not conscript". 30 were arrested.[19]
2 July - Following an incident where an ultra-Orthodox Jew was arrested for refusing to join the Israeli Defense Forces, more than 2,000 from the Jerusalem Faction blocked main roads in Jerusalem. 22 were arrested.[20]
2020
3 February - Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews from the Jerusalem Faction blocked Israeli Highway 4 in Bnei Brak in solidarity with "conscription refusers".[21][22] 3 policeman were injured and 13 were arrested.[21]
22 December - Following an incident where an ultra-Orthodox Jew (Shachna Rotenberg) was arrested for refusing to join the Israeli Defense Forces, 2,000 from the Jerusalem Faction blockedHighway 1. one policeman and one protester got injured. 3 were arrested[23]
27 December - Following an incident where an ultra-Orthodox Jew (Shachna Rotenberg) was arrested for refusing to join the Israeli Defense Forces, more than 1,000 from the Jerusalem Faction blocked Highway 4. 13 protesters were arrested.[24]
2021
15 November - ultra-Orthodox Jews from the Jerusalem Faction blocked Israeli Highway 4 inBar-Ilan Interchange.[25] 2 were arrested.[26]
2022
6 March - Following an incident where an ultra-Orthodox Jew was arrested for refusing to join the Israeli Defense Forces, the Jerusalem Faction protested in Chords Bridge. Israeli politicianYoel Razvozov was stuck in his car because of protesters. 7 were arrested.[27]
8 March - Following an incident where an ultra-Orthodox Jew was arrested for refusing to join the Israeli Defense Forces, the Jerusalem Faction blocked Israeli Highway 4. 7 were arrested.[28]
2023
13 September - Following an incident where an ultra-Orthodox Jew was arrested for refusing to join the Israeli Defense Forces, thousands from the Jerusalem Faction blocked theTel Aviv Light Rail, the entrance to Jerusalem, and Israeli Highway 4 in protests.[29] 3 were arrested.[30]
2024
In June 2024, Supreme Court ruled to conscript thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews.[31]
3 March - ultra-Orthodox Jews from the Jerusalem Faction blocked Israeli Highway 4 in Bnei Brak with the slogan "We'll die and not conscript".[32]
18 March - ultra-Orthodox Jews from the Jerusalem Faction blocked number of roads in Jerusalem. 1 was arrested.[33]
1 April - ultra-Orthodox Jews from the Jerusalem Faction blocked Israeli Highway 4 inBnei Brak.[34] 5 were arrested.[35]
11 April - ultra-Orthodox Jews from the Jerusalem Faction blocked IDF Conscription Office in Jerusalem.[36]
2 May - ultra-Orthodox Jews blocked Israeli Highway 4 in Bnei Brak. 6 were arrested.[37]
20 May - ultra-Orthodox Jews from the Jerusalem Faction protested in Bnei Brak.[38]
2 June - ultra-Orthodox Jews blocked cinema city junction in Jerusalem. 6 were arrested.[39]
9 June - ultra-Orthodox Jews from the Jerusalem Faction blocked Israeli Highway 4 onGeha Interchange.[40]
20 June - ultra-Orthodox Jews from the Jerusalem Faction blocked Israeli Highway 4 onAluf Sade Interchange.[41]
27 June - ultra-Orthodox Jews blocked Israeli Highway 4 in Bnei Brak.[42] 32 were arrested.[43]
