Protests against conscription of yeshiva students

Protests against conscription of yeshiva students
הפגנות החרדים נגד גיוס בני ישיבות
Top to bottom, left to right: The ultra-Orthodox demonstration against conscription of yeshiva students A kid holding a sign saying "War against religion" An ultra-orthodox teen getting arrested while protesting
Date	1977 (1977) –
Location	Israel, sometimes worldwide
Methods	Protests, demonstrations, civil disobedience, civil resistance, online activism, riots
Status	Active
Parties
ultra-Orthodox jew movements Jerusalem Faction Edah HaChareidis Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah World Agudath Israel Degel HaTorah Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah Shas Supreme Court of Israel Israeli Police Brothers in Arms
Lead figures
ultra-Orthodox jew leaders Steinman Kanievsky Auerbach HaHadmor Migor Rokeach Hager
Casualties
Injuries	10+
Arrested	500+

The conscription of yeshiva students to the Israeli Defense Forces has been a highly contentious issue in Israel and outside it ^[1] for decades now, at least since 1977. ^[2]

Large protests have been held against the conscription of yeshiva students in Israel and worldwide. Three of these protests had more than 200,000 participants and were significant in the ultra-Orthodox community: ^[3]

• The ultra-Orthodox demonstration against the Supreme Court (Hebrew : הפגנת החצי מיליון), 1999.
• The ultra-Orthodox demonstration against conscription of yeshiva students (Hebrew : עצרת המיליון), 2014, summarized in conscription of yeshiva students.
• The Haredis demonstration against conscription of yeshiva students (Hebrew : עצרת המיליון), 2025, in response to arrests of yeshiva students refusing conscription. ^{[4] [5] [6]}

Background

Ultra-Orthodox (haredi) Jews, are dedicated to learning Torah their whole life, as written on Book 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 the status quo regarding the conscription of haredi Jews to Israeli Defense Forces. For example, in 1998, the Supreme Court of Israel ruled that the Minister 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, ^[7] while all secular Jews get conscripted to Israeli Defense Forces.

Timeline

2013

• 27 June - ultra-Orthodox Jews protested in front of the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium against Israel attempting to draft Orthodox yeshiva students. ^{[8] [9]}

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. ^[10]
• The ultra-Orthodox demonstration against conscription of yeshiva students
• March - hundreds of thousands of ultra-orthodox Jews protested against Netanyahu. ^[11]

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 of Ashdod, Hadera, Bnei Brak, Elad and more, About 50 were arrested, a policeman was slightly injured. ^[12]

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. ^[13]

2017

Ultra-Orthodox Jews hold a sign saying "Jewish military only by the Torah", 2025

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. ^[14]
• 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. ^[15]
• 11 June - a rally was held at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Close to 20,000 Haredim attended. The speakers included Rabbi Aaron Schechter, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Chaim Berlin, Rabbi Leibish Leiser of Pshevorsk, known as The Pshevorsker Rebbe, one of the most prominent leaders of the Haredi community of Antwerp, Belgium, and Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro, author of The Empty Wagon: Zionism's Journey from Identity Crisis to Identity Theft. A letter was read from Rabbi Aharon Feldman, the rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas 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 at Kikar HaShabbat in Jerusalem. 5 were arrested. ^[16]
• 26 November - ultra-Orthodox Jews blocked Chords Bridge. 36 were arrested. ^[17]

2018

• 8 March - ultra-Orthodox Jews from the Jerusalem Faction protested in different places in Jerusalem. ^[18]
• 22 March - ultra-Orthodox Jews from the Jerusalem Faction blocked entrance to Jerusalem. 28 were arrested. ^[19]
• 5 July - Edah HaChareidis held a protest at Kikar HaShabbat in Jerusalem, chanting "We'll die and not conscript". ^[20]
• 6 August - 500 ultra-Orthodox Jews from the Jerusalem Faction protested in Bnei Brak. 29 were arrested. ^[21]

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. ^[22]
• 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. ^[23]

2020

• 3 February - Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews from the Jerusalem Faction blocked Israeli Highway 4 in Bnei Brak in solidarity with "conscription refusers". ^{[24] [25]} 3 policeman were injured and 13 were arrested. ^[24]
• 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 blocked Highway 1. one policeman and one protester got injured. 3 were arrested ^[26]
• 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. ^[27]

2021

• 15 November - ultra-Orthodox Jews from the Jerusalem Faction blocked Israeli Highway 4 in Bar-Ilan Interchange. ^[28] 2 were arrested. ^[29]

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 politician Yoel Razvozov was stuck in his car because of protesters. 7 were arrested. ^[30]
• 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. ^[31]

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 the Tel Aviv Light Rail, the entrance to Jerusalem, and Israeli Highway 4 in protests. ^[32] 3 were arrested. ^[33]

2024

In June 2024, Supreme Court ruled to conscript thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews. ^[34]

• 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". ^[35]
• 18 March - ultra-Orthodox Jews from the Jerusalem Faction blocked number of roads in Jerusalem. 1 was arrested. ^[36]
• 1 April - ultra-Orthodox Jews from the Jerusalem Faction blocked Israeli Highway 4 in Bnei Brak. ^[37] 5 were arrested. ^[38]
• 11 April - ultra-Orthodox Jews from the Jerusalem Faction blocked IDF Conscription Office in Jerusalem. ^[39]
• 2 May - ultra-Orthodox Jews blocked Israeli Highway 4 in Bnei Brak. 6 were arrested. ^[40]
• 20 May - ultra-Orthodox Jews from the Jerusalem Faction protested in Bnei Brak. ^[41]
• 2 June - ultra-Orthodox Jews blocked cinema city junction in Jerusalem. 6 were arrested. ^[42]
• 9 June - ultra-Orthodox Jews from the Jerusalem Faction blocked Israeli Highway 4 on Geha Interchange. ^[43]
• 20 June - ultra-Orthodox Jews from the Jerusalem Faction blocked Israeli Highway 4 on Aluf Sade Interchange. ^[44]
• 27 June - ultra-Orthodox Jews blocked Israeli Highway 4 in Bnei Brak. ^[45] 32 were arrested. ^[46]
• 30 June - Tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews from the Jerusalem Faction ^[47] protested in Jerusalem and stoned Minister of Housing and Construction Yitzhak Goldknopf's vehicle. ^[48] Others set bins on fire and the Israeli Police dispersed them with a water cannon. ^[47]
• 6 August - approximately 500 Haredi Israeli protestors stormed the Tel HaShomer army base in protest of mandatory conscription. Only 8% of summoned Haredi youth appeared on the first day. ^[49]

References

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