Protests against conscription of yeshiva students

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Protests against conscription of yeshiva students
הפגנות החרדים נגד גיוס בני ישיבות
Haredi demonstration against conscription yeshiva pupils.jpg
Atzere5.JPG
Haredi child arrest IDF.jpg
Top to bottom, left to right:
Date
1977 (1977) 
Location
Israel, sometimes worldwide
MethodsProtests, demonstrations, civil disobedience, civil resistance, online activism, riots
StatusActive
Parties
Lead figures
Casualties
Injuries10+
Arrested500+

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]

Contents

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]

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, [4] while all secular Jews get conscripted to Israeli Defense Forces.

Timeline

2013

2014

In 2014, Shaked Committee promoted a law intended to conscript ultra-Orthodox, causing outrage in the haredi communities.

2015

2016

2017

In 2017, Supreme Court rules that "Tal law" must be repealed.

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

In June 2024, Supreme Court ruled to conscript thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews. [31]

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