Hundreds of Haredi men protest at IDF recruitment centers, hours after passage of contentious bill

By Charlie Summers

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15 July 2026, 2:09 pm

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A protest against Haredi men being drafted into the Israel Defense Forces, in Jerusalem, July 15, 2026. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Hundreds of Haredi demonstrators are protesting outside army recruitment centers in Tel Hashomer and Jerusalem, where a wave of new ultra-Orthodox IDF recruits have shown up for enlistment today.

In footage of the protest near Tel Hashomer, at least a hundred young men in ultra-Orthodox garb are seen gathered outside the center, some sitting cross-legged on the road as cars honk at them.

Over a dozen demonstrators attempted to break into the recruitment center in Tel Hashomer, the Israel Hayom outlet reports.

According to the daily, some 140 ultra-Orthodox young men are expected to conscript into combat support roles today, sparking anger among extremist anti-draft groups.

In Jerusalem, police officers at the scene have declared the gathering unlawful and are working to disperse the demonstrators, who are chanting against IDF enlistment.

No arrests are reported so far at either protest.

The demonstrations are held a day after the Knesset passed a controversial piece of legislation banning the arrest and prosecution of Haredi draft-dodgers, reinforcing the current reality of mass non-enlistment among the ultra-Orthodox population.