Massive Ultra-Orthodox Rally In Israel Protests Arrest Of Draft Dodgers

Via The Cradle

Hundreds of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Israelis, known as the Haredim, gathered in Jerusalem on Thursday for a mass rally against the arrests of yeshiva students accused of evading military service.

The rally is described by Israeli media as a ‘rare show of unity’ between the divided Haredi factions, who are often in opposition regarding politics and state relations. The demonstration, named “Cry of the Torah,” was endorsed by nearly all ultra-Orthodox leaders, who instructed followers to attend and maintain order. 

Only the Jerusalem Faction, led by Rabbi Azriel Auerbach, refused to participate, accusing organizers of failing to demand the full reinstatement of the long-standing Torato Omanuto exemption system that allows Torah students to defer military service.

The exemption is central to the ultra-Orthodox Jewish way of life, allowing yeshiva students to dedicate their time solely to the study of the Torah instead of army duty, a principle many Haredim see as vital to preserving their religious identity. Torah study is viewed by the ultra-Orthodox as a form of spiritual service to the nation, equal in importance to military duty.

“After it was not made clear to me that the purpose of the rally is to publicly declare that the ultra-Orthodox community demands the reinstatement of the Torato Omanuto arrangement … I cannot instruct participation in this rally,” Auerbach said in a public letter.

Organizers said the gathering was not against the draft exemption law itself but against the arrests of students labeled as deserters. “The debate over the law is still ongoing, and it belongs in the Knesset,” a source explained. “But following the arrests and persecution against us, it was decided to protest nonetheless.”

WATCH: Ultra-Orthodox Jews (Haredim) protest military conscription and the arrest of draft dodgers in Jerusalem. pic.twitter.com/yjk5N3ZmoZ

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The event featured no speeches or a central stage. Instead, rabbis stood separately in different locations while crowds recited psalms and prayers. 

“Some will stand on balconies overlooking the streets where the rally is taking place, and others will stay in their cars,” one organizer said, adding that coordinating a central platform for such large numbers was “impossible.”

An official notice instructed women to pray separately, stating that “women of Israel from the city of Jerusalem who wish to take part in the event will gather in a designated area,” while others were asked to “join the prayers from wherever they are.”

The protest was convened after Lithuanian leaders, Rabbis Dov Landau and Moshe Hillel Hirsch, called for action following the arrest of several yeshiva students. Their decision prompted Shas and Agudat Yisrael leaders to join, forming a unified coordinating committee across factions.

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Police prepared for potential disturbances by hardline followers of Rabbi Zvi Friedman, whose group disrupted a Supreme Court hearing a day earlier. “We expect that the police will use full force against them so they don’t turn our prayer rally into a violent event,” a source warned.

A counter-protest was organized nearby by the “Coalition of Service Organizations and Families of Reservists,” including bereaved families and wounded soldiers.

Prominent ultra-Orthodox leaders have repeatedly urged their followers to ignore military recruitment orders following the Israeli High Court’s ruling that yeshiva students must be drafted into military service amid Israel’s enlistment crisis in the army.

- Haredi Jews burn the Israeli flag in protests againt the Israeli Govt. pic.twitter.com/0nf50Tpp5n

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The legislation was introduced in 2024 amid mounting losses in Gaza, aiming to replenish dwindling manpower as the Israeli army struggled to sustain operations while facing an unprecedented shortage of recruits.