Haredi Jews storm army’s conscription office in central Israel to protest mandatory service

Scores of ultra-Orthodox Jews broke into an Israeli army’s conscription office in central Israel on Tuesday to protest compulsory army enlistment of their community members, Anadolu Agency reports.

Footage by Israeli media showed Israeli police chasing ultra-Orthodox Jews inside the conscription office in the Tel Hashomer army base.

A large number of Israeli police and army officers were deployed in the base to expel the protesters, Israel’s Army Radio said.

According to public broadcaster, KAN, only 30 ultra-Orthodox Jews appeared on Monday at the conscription office, while 1,000 are supposed to register their names on Monday and Tuesday.

In June, Israel’s Supreme Court mandated the drafting of ultra-Orthodox Jews, or Haredi, into the army and banned financial aid to religious institutions whose students refuse military service.

Haredi Jews make up about 13 per cent of Israel’s population of approximately 9.9 million and do not serve in the military, dedicating their lives to studying the Torah.

Israeli law requires all Israelis over 18 to serve in the military, and the exemption of Haredi has been a contentious issue for decades.

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since a 7 October, 2023 attack by Hamas.

Over 39,600 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and nearly 91,400 injured, according to local health authorities.

Ten months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on 6 May.

READ: Ultra-Orthodox Israeli chief Rabbi calls on Haredi students to reject military service