Ultra-Orthodox demonstrators block roads and trains across Israel

Tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox demonstrators blocked roads and trains across Israel on Monday to protest mandatory military enlistment. Demonstrators set cars on fire and attacked a soldier who left a bus near one protest site. Police used water cannons and mounted units in attempts to disperse the crowds.

The demonstrations closed major highways and halted public transportation in Jerusalem and the Tel Aviv metro area. Military service remains compulsory for most Jewish men and women. Ultra-Orthodox parties have secured exemptions allowing seminary students to avoid service, though those exemptions face legal and political pressure.

Background on exemptions and military needs Each year about 13,000 ultra-Orthodox men reach conscription age, but fewer than 10 percent enlist, according to a parliamentary committee. The military is considering longer service periods to address personnel shortages.

Most Jewish men serve nearly three years followed by reserve duty; women serve two years. The Supreme Court ruled the exemptions illegal in 2017, yet repeated extensions have kept them in place. The ultra-Orthodox population, roughly 13 percent of Israeli society, is the fastest-growing sector.

Many within the community fear military service would expose young people to secular influences. "This public is determined, they see this as a war for their lives," said Israel Tropper, a demonstrator in Jerusalem. " He added that forcing service on tens of thousands of opponents would be difficult.

Israel maintains forces in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria while also engaged in conflict with Iran. The exemptions originated in 1948 to preserve religious scholarship after the Holocaust and have included government stipends for seminary students up to age 26.

The issue has prompted ultra-Orthodox parties to withdraw support from the governing coalition, raising the possibility of earlier elections.