From the Liveblog of
Thursday, January 9, 2025
Ultra-Orthodox demonstrators block major highway in protest against IDF conscription
Ultra-Orthodox demonstrators are blocking traffic on Route 4, a major north-south highway near the entrance to Bnei Brak, in a protest against IDF conscription.
The protesters are affiliated with the Jerusalem Faction, a radical Haredi sect that regularly demonstrates against the conscription of yeshiva students.
The protest takes place in light of intensifying government efforts to draft Haredi men to the military, following a June High Court ruling that demanded an end to blanket exemptions.
חרדים מהפלג הירושלמי מפגינים נגד גיוס לצה"ל בכביש 4, שנחסם לתנועה בשני הכיוונים @AkivaWeisz pic.twitter.com/lVfmJchwZA
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) January 9, 2025
Earlier this week, the IDF drafted its first 50 ultra-Orthodox soldiers to a newly established “Hasmonean Brigade” for regular service.
Police officers in the area are redirecting traffic to alternative routes, says a spokesperson.
Hebrew media shows protesters sitting cross-legged on the ground, holding signs that read: “We will die and not enlist” among other anti-draft slogans. Police, who declared the demonstration illegal, are using force to clear protesters from the road.
