Jerusalem, Israel – Tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews took to the streets of Jerusalem on Thursday to protest the government’s plan to enforce mandatory military conscription, marking one of the largest demonstrations by the Haredi community in recent years.
Local media estimated that nearly 200,000 devout Haredi men blocked the main entrance to the city, marching in traditional black attire and hats while holding placards and chanting slogans such as, “We are ready to go to prison, but we will not serve in the army.”
The protesters argued that studying the Torah is their sacred duty, not military service. Many carried banners reading “The People Are for the Torah” and “Closing the Yeshivas Means the Death of Judaism.” Some protesters set tires on fire, causing traffic disruptions across several parts of the city.
According to The Times of Israel, this was the first time since 2014 that all branches of the Haredi community united for a mass rally known as the “March of the Million.” There are currently around 1.3 million ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel — roughly 13 percent of the population — and they have long opposed conscription, maintaining that full-time religious study is a higher calling.
When Israel was founded in 1948, authorities agreed to exempt full-time religious students from compulsory military service. However, in 2024, Israel’s Supreme Court ruled that Haredi men must be drafted like other citizens, effectively ending decades of exemptions.
The ruling has triggered a major political crisis for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government. In July, the ultra-Orthodox party United Torah Judaism (UTJ) announced it would withdraw from the ruling alliance in protest of the decision.
Analysts warn that the ongoing conscription controversy could further weaken Netanyahu’s political standing ahead of the 2026 national elections.