BNEI BRAK, Israel (AP) — Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jewish men blocked a major highway in central Israel for two hours on Thursday to protest a recent Supreme Court ruling that ordered young religious enlist for military service.
Military service is mandatory for most Jewish men and women in Israel. But politically powerful ultra-Orthodox parties have obtained exemptions for their followers that allow them to study at religious seminaries.
This long-standing agreement has generated widespread resentment among the general public—a feeling that has got stronger during the eight months war against Hamas in Gaza. More than 600 soldiers were killed and tens of thousands of reservists were activated, damaging careers, businesses and family lives.
Protesters sat on the road and lay on the ground as police lifted them up and dragged them away. Officers on horseback charged the crowd. Many protesters held signs and shouted “To prison! Not for the army!
“We all came here with one goal: we reflect the position of the entire Orthodox public,” said a young man, identifying himself only by his first name, Ozer. “The entire Orthodox public prefers to go to prison and not the army. ”
The ultra-Orthodox see their full-time religious study as their part in protecting the state. Many fear that greater contact with secular society through the military will distance adherents from strict observance of the faith.
The Supreme Court this week ordered the government to begin recruiting ultra-Orthodox men, saying the exemption system is inequitable.
The decision can lead to collapse of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Ultra-Orthodox parties and their followers oppose any change to the system.
The ultra-Orthodox represent about 13% of Israel’s population. But under the country’s fragmented political system, they wield significant political power and often serve as political kingmakers.
The parties are key members of Netanyahu’s governing coalition and could potentially force new elections if they decide to leave the government.
Ultra-Orthodox leaders have not yet said whether they will abandon the government, but their followers have scheduled a large protest in Jerusalem on Sunday.
