Hundreds of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews protest army draft plan in Jerusalem-Xinhua

Ultra-Orthodox Jews pray during a protest in Jerusalem on Oct. 30, 2025. Hundreds of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews filled the streets of Jerusalem on Thursday to protest government plans to expand military conscription in their community and the recent arrests of draft dodgers by military police. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua)

JERUSALEM, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews filled the streets of Jerusalem on Thursday to protest government plans to expand military conscription in their community and the recent arrests of draft dodgers by military police.

Almost all sects and factions of the ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi, community joined what organizers called the "March of the Million."

The demonstration shut down the main highway into Jerusalem and several nearby roads, police said. Train service to and from the city was also suspended for several hours.

Reporters from major Israeli television channels were attacked during live broadcasts, with some pushed, hit with planks and bottles, and forced to leave the area.

Israel's Magen David Adom emergency service said a 15-year-old boy died after falling from the 20th floor of a construction site where protesters had climbed. Another 55 people were slightly injured, the service said. Police opened an investigation into the boy's death.

Since Israel's founding, full-time students at religious seminaries, or yeshivas, have been exempt from the country's mandatory military service, though some members of the ultra-Orthodox community do serve. The policy, long supported by ultra-Orthodox political parties that are key allies in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right coalition, has faced growing criticism during the war in Gaza.

In June, Israel's Supreme Court ruled the blanket exemptions unconstitutional. The government has proposed a new draft law that would keep exemptions for full-time religious students and men over 26, but gradually increase annual recruitment of ultra-Orthodox men starting in 2027. The plan would also impose penalties on those who evade service. ■

Ultra-Orthodox Jews take part in a protest in Jerusalem on Oct. 30, 2025. Hundreds of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews filled the streets of Jerusalem on Thursday to protest government plans to expand military conscription in their community and the recent arrests of draft dodgers by military police. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua)