Haredi protesters trying to intimidate Haredi recruits at IDF base, police say

Police say that the ultra-Orthodox protest outside the Tel Hashomer IDF base is ongoing, with demonstrators trying to intimidate the Haredi recruits who have arrived there.

Police say that a number of roads in the area are blocked as a result of the illegal protest, and that they are using crowd control measures.

“Despite attempts to engage in dialogue, the rioters continue to congregate at the site, confronting police officers and shouting terms such as ‘Nazis’ and ‘terrorists’ at them,” police say.

According to Channel 12 news, some 230 Haredi men are expected to draft into the IDF today.

The issue of Haredi draft exemptions has been a major source of political and social tension, as the IDF has repeatedly said it faces an urgent manpower deficit amid the multifront war of recent years, and resentment has grown among Israelis who perform mandatory and reserve service. Many reservists have served hundreds of days in the last three years.