On Thursday, October 30, hundreds of thousands of haredim (ultra-Orthodox) took to the streets to protest against the new conscription bill. The Jerusalem Post took to the streets of Jerusalem to talk to Israelis before the demonstrations began.
Haredim are exempt from conscription to the IDF under Torato Umanuto (Torah is his work), a law David Ben-Gurion implemented at the foundation of the state to exempt approximately 400 men from military service so they could finish their studies at yeshiva.
The number of people exempt from service under this law has grown to almost 70,000. Despite the High Court of Justice ruling in 2024 that this exemption is illegal and the IDF issuing draft notices, the majority of haredim still do not serve.
More recently, Shas and UTJ left the Likud-led coalition over negotiations around the mandatory army service for haredim bill. The proposed bill is due to be presented on Monday and is thought to have been changed to revert to the previous version that failed to enforce the haredi draft.
What do people think about the protests?
The majority of people said that although they may not agree with the cause or the protest, they asserted the right to protest, as Israel is a democratic country.
There was a clear sense of frustration and even resentment, especially among those who had served on reserve duty or had family members who had served for hundreds of days over the last two years of war.
A Jerusalemite who had served in the Israel Air Force for 20 years told the Post, “I don’t think the protests have legitimacy, but I am against forcing people to join the military.” He continued, “If you have to serve currently, then serve, don’t shirk. And if you shirk, don’t be surprised if you get arrested.”
This sentiment was shared by many of the people interviewed. A Jerusalem woman told the Post that this is “a democratic country,” so the haredim have a right to protest if they wish.
She said, “I don’t agree with them because after two years of the war, everyone in Israel can see that we need a lot of soldiers.”
Similarly, another woman acknowledged that “too many people have been drafted for way too long and [have been] serving 300, 400 days of miluim for the past two years.”
A man from Ramat Gan also said the protests were “poking a finger in the whole country’s eye - after all we’ve been through to continue in the same way they’ve always been.”
What effects do the protests have on daily life?
Many people in Mahaneh Yehudah and on Ben Yehuda Street said they couldn’t stop for an interview because they had to try and get errands done before haredim filled the streets to protest. People reported being concerned that “[they] may not be able to get a bus home tonight as public transport is being disrupted by the protests.”
One woman admitted, “I had wanted to go pick something up, but because of the protests, the shop was closed.”
When asked about the impacts of the protests on his life, a man mentioned how “when we have ultra-Orthodox protests in my area and the police start using skunk, everybody pays for it for weeks.”
The protest disrupts everyday life as people cannot get to the shops, run errands, get to and from work, or use public transport due to its impacts.
Should haredim have to serve in the IDF?
Despite the shared frustration, interviewees held mixed opinions on how haredim should actually be drafted in practice.
Many were frustrated at the number of people who were exempt under the exemption policy, with one man suggesting that “if you were to tell me less were exempt, the top one percent, top five percent, the ones that are really, really good - I would say yes, fine.”
He went on to express disbelief that such a large number of people could be “the best of the best of the best of the best that they need to be exempt from service.”
Another woman said, “learning Torah all day will not bring peace in the world,” arguing that “we need to find how they can draft, because they are so religious,” but ultimately saying that “yes, they should draft like everyone else has to draft.”
Many haredim argue that by learning Torah, they are spiritually protecting Israel and supporting the army in a way that they consider greater than simply serving in the IDF.
The Israelis also felt they should have to draft, but adaptations should be made to allow haredim to continue to live an ultra-Orthodox lifestyle while in the army. One woman said that “there is a need for everyone to be a part of protecting our lives here, however, the way the army works right now is not adaptive enough for the religious.”
Others were not as sympathetic to the religious considerations, saying that “[haredim] have to wake up and start drafting.”