Two protesters were injured and major traffic arteries across Israel were blocked for approximately two hours on Thursday night as thousands of Haredi men demonstrated against the arrest of ultra-Orthodox draft evaders. According to first responders, a 93-year-old man and a younger individual were hospitalized following separate vehicle-related incidents on Route 4 near Bnei Brak.
Why these protests are escalating
The demonstrations were organized by the Jerusalem Faction, a group of approximately 60,000 members that frequently uses a “national alert system” to trigger street-level protests when draft-dodging arrests occur. This latest unrest follows the Wednesday transfer of 19 draft evaders to Israel Defense Forces (IDF) custody, following their arrest at a riot outside the home of Supreme Court deputy chief Noam Sohlberg. The protests are occurring against the backdrop of a 2024 High Court ruling that mandated military enlistment for Haredi men. While the IDF has reported an urgent need for personnel during the ongoing multi-front war, Haredi leaders continue to seek legal exemptions, arguing that Torah study should be considered equivalent to military service.
What happened on the roads and rails
Protesters brought traffic to a standstill on Routes 1, 4, and 6, as well as the Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv. The disruption coincided with heavy traffic caused by major concert events in Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv, and Petah Tikva. According to police, some protesters at the Ben Shemen Interchange were seen wearing yellow stars labeled “deserter.” In a separate incident on Route 4, a woman turned herself in to police after driving through a crowd of protesters; she told authorities she was attempting to flee after her vehicle was stoned and cursed by demonstrators. Additionally, rail service in Tel Aviv was halted when protesters occupied the tracks, forcing hundreds of passengers to disembark at Ben Gurion Airport.
What may happen next
Given the current tensions, further unrest is a possibility as the military continues to issue enlistment orders to the ultra-Orthodox community. Following the High Court ruling, tens of thousands of orders have been sent out over the past two years, with many recipients ignoring them and risking arrest. Police have stated they will continue to permit the right to protest while moving to prevent violations of public order or threats to motorist safety. With Haredi leaders pushing to enshrine exemptions in law, the gap between the military’s demand for manpower and the community’s resistance to service suggests that street-level mobilization may persist if further arrests of draft evaders occur.
