An effigy of an IDF soldier is seen hanging in the ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Jerusalem on March 25, 2016 (courtesy)
An effigy of an Israel Defense Forces soldier was seen Friday hanging from an overhead cable in the ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Mea Shearim in Jerusalem.
Hanging next to the dummy was a sign asking people not to enter the neighborhood in army uniform. It appeared to be a warning against members of the ultra-Orthodox community who have enlisted in the army.
The sign, which also features an apparent caricature of an overweight Israeli soldier, reads: “Have you weakened? Should we forgive the army? Please do not walk around our neighborhoods in the uniform of the despicable army.”
Many in the Haredi community shun mandatory national service, and the community has historically enjoyed blanket exemptions from the army in favor of religious seminary studies.
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men protest against the military draft in Jerusalem’s Mea Shearim neighborhood, December 22, 2015. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
In November, lawmakers passed legislation extending the ultra-Orthodox exemption from duty until 2023, reversing a law passed in 2014 that would have seen this exemption expire.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Editionby email and never miss our top stories
The previous legislation, which was a key platform of former coalition party Yesh Atid, would have forced eligible community members to enlist or face penalties. Thousands of ultra-Orthodox men repeatedly took to the streets across Israel to protest the plan.
AFP contributed to this report
Advertisement
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
