October 20, 2026
Field confrontations between the Israeli police and the ultra-Orthodox Jews were renewed on Sunday morning, against the backdrop of the compulsory conscription crisis, after protesters closed a main road, which required a security intervention during which the police forces used water cannons and sound bombs to disperse the crowds.
The Jerusalem Post reported that hundreds of Haredim blocked Highway 4 in both directions near the Yavneh intersection, in protest against the arrest of two young men who evaded military service over the weekend. The protest resulted in a complete paralysis of traffic for about two hours, before the police were able, by deploying water trucks and sound bombs, to disperse the demonstrators and reopen the road to traffic.
The Haredi community constitutes about 13% of the total population in Israel, and a large segment of them refuses to join the army, insisting on devoting themselves to studying the Torah to protect their religious identity. This society has benefited for many decades from repeated exemptions and postponements of military service until reaching the age of exemption, which is currently set at 26 years.
This recruitment crisis is gaining double sensitivity at the present time, in conjunction with the continued call-up of reserve forces and the escalation of tensions on several fronts, including the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, Iran, and the West Bank.
In June 2024, the Israeli Supreme Court issued a judicial ruling requiring members of the Haredi sect to serve in the military, in addition to halting government funding for religious institutions whose students fail to join the army. This decision led to the re-explosion of sharp internal disputes in Israel and the expansion of protests against the implementation of conscription decisions.
