Israel: Police arrest 120 ultra-Orthodox anti-draft protesters Oct. 19 /update 1

Event

Israeli police arrested some 120 ultra-Orthodox Jewish anti-draft protesters in Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, and Bnei Brak on Thursday, October 19. Thursday's ultra-Orthodox protests marked the fourth consecutive day of demonstrations following the arrest of two ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students earlier this week on charges of draft evasion.

The protests in Jerusalem accounted for most of the arrests made Thursday, as an estimated 2000 ultra-Orthodox protesters blocked several major traffic nodes throughout the city, resulting in transportation disruptions for several hours. Protesters blocked the intersection of Jaffa-Sari Yisrael streets and pushed burning trash cans onto the road at Shabbat Square, near the entrance to the Meah Shearim neighborhood; protesters also blocked sections of the city's light rail route, resulting in significant train service disruptions between Central Station and the Damascus Gate stop for several hours. Additional transportation disruptions were reported in related protests on Thursday in Safed and near Shilat Junction on Route 443 (near Modi'in). Further ultra-Orthodox anti-draft protests and consequent transportation disruptions are possible throughout the affected areas in the coming days.

Context

In September, Israel's Supreme Court struck down a 2015 law that granted exemptions from military service to ultra-Orthodox men; however, the Court suspended its decision for one year to allow for new arrangements to be made.

Ultra-Orthodox Israelis have historically been able to claim exemption from military service. However, growing segments of Israel's general population resent this exemption, prompting the state to attempt to adapt military service to accommodate ultra-Orthodox recruits. However, the new policies have been met with significant pushback by members of the ultra-Orthodox community. Related protests against the draft, some of which have turned violent, have taken place in recent months in Jerusalem, Bnei Brak, and Beit Shemesh, cities that are home to large ultra-Orthodox communities.

Advice

Individuals in Israel are advised to monitor developments to the situation and to avoid all protests due to the risk of violent escalation.

More generally, due to the ongoing terrorist threat, travelers in Israel and throughout the region are advised to report any suspicious objects or behavior to the authorities and to remain vigilant when visiting sites deemed particularly likely to be targeted in an attack (public transportation, train stations, ports, airports, public or government buildings, embassies or consulates, international organizations, schools and universities, religious sites, markets, hotels and restaurants frequented by foreigners/Westerners, etc.). As a reminder, several Western governments advise their citizens against all travel to the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and areas near the Lebanese, Syrian, and Egyptian borders.