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Middle East conflict

Israeli police detain 15 ultra-Orthodox Jews amid anti-draft protests

The rallies took place near recruitment centers in various Israeli cities

TEL AVIV, October 31. /TASS/. Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Jews started fresh anti-draft protests, engaging in scuffles with the police, with 15 protesters detained across the country, the police said.

The rallies took place near recruitment centers in various Israeli cities. Seven protesters were detained near a military base in the Tel Aviv suburb of Kiryat Ono for disturbing public order, six were detained in Jerusalem and two others in Haifa.

None of the rallies were approved by the authorities, so all the gatherings were declared illegal, the police said in a statement.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews and the military

Israel's Supreme Court ruled unanimously in late June that ultra-Orthodox Jews should be drafted into the armed forces like everyone else. According to the justices, there is currently no legislation in Israel that would grant yeshiva students deferment from military service. In addition, the court prohibited the funding of yeshivas whose students refuse to enlist for military service.

Previously, ultra-Orthodox Jews were effectively exempted from draft. In wartime, this exemption sparked heated public debate, with opposition parties pushing for conscripting ultra-Orthodox Jews. In February, this stance gained the support of Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

According to the Times of Israel, there are currently about 67,000 Orthodox men eligible to be drafted into the military. Since the start of the military operation in the Gaza Strip, a small number of religious Jews have already voluntarily joined the armed forces.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews make up about 13.5% of Israel's population, or 1.28 million in a country of 9.45 million. After the start of Gaza hostilities, the Israel Defense Forces announced it would begin enlisting them into its ranks on a voluntary basis.

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