Mere dozens of ultra-Orthodox young men showed up at the Israel Defense Forces’ Meitav Reception and Sorting Base at Tel Hashomer in Ramat Gan on Monday out of some 1,000 who were issued draft orders.
According to the military, at least some of the men who were ordered to appear at Tel Hashomer for initial screening were deterred from reporting for duty due to a large protest outside the army base.
Hundreds of haredi extremists participated in the demonstration, which culminated in violent riots. Ten people were arrested on charges of disorderly conduct after three officers were injured, police said.
“Hundreds of protesters arrived with the goal of breaking into the military base, confronting the policemen while throwing objects, trying to break through barriers and throw fences,” the Israel Police said.
The haredi rioters were joined by a handful of left-wing protesters who refused to enlist in the IDF, saying they were pacifists.
ההפגנה בסמוך ללשכת הגיוס בקרית אונו – כלל הצירים נפתחו לתנועה
כוחות המשטרה פעלו משעות הבוקר לשמירה על הסדר הציבורי בעקבות הפגנה שהתקיימה סמוך ללשכת הגיוס בקרית אונו.
מאות מפגינים שהגיעו במטרה לפרוץ לבסיס הצבאי, התעמתו עם השוטרים תוך שהם משליכים חפצים, מנסים לפרוץ חסימות… pic.twitter.com/IaDtR5dsyq
— משטרת ישראל (@IL_police) August 5, 2024
On July 18, Israel’s Defense Ministry announced that it would send the first roughly 1,000 draft orders to ultra-Orthodox men between the ages of 18 and 26, followed by additional rounds in the weeks that followed.
The initial wave of draft orders targeted only those who were not registered with the government as full-time yeshivah students and, therefore, would not qualify for an exemption in any case.
The announcement followed a June 24 court ruling that the IDF must draft this sector of the population into the armed forces.
The Supreme Court, sitting as the High Court of Justice, unanimously ruled against the government, with all justices agreeing that “at this time, there is no legal framework that makes it possible to distinguish between yeshivah students and others” regarding mandatory service.
Moreover, as no legal justification to support their exemption exists, “It is not possible to continue transferring support funds for yeshivahs and kollels for students who did not receive an exemption or whose military service was not postponed,” the nine-justice panel ruled.
Israel’s ultra-Orthodox generally consider national service a distraction from Torah study and a threat to their way of life. However, Hamas’s Oct. 7 invasion and the ensuing war have heightened demands by the general public that haredim contribute to the Jewish nation’s defense.
While most Israelis agree that haredim should play a more prominent role in the defense of the Jewish state, some politicians have questioned the behavior and timing of the Supreme Court and the attorney general.
An enlistment bill working its way through the Knesset reflects Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s attempt to forge a compromise with his ultra-Orthodox partners, who have threatened to quit the governing coalition if the mass of haredi yeshivah students is drafted.
Between 63,000 and 66,000 young men studying in haredi yeshivahs are legally required to serve. Since the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks in southern Israel, more than 1,000 haredim have voluntarily enlisted, and a similar number have volunteered for civilian national service.