Ultra-Orthodox Protest to Stage Nationwide Car Convoy Over Draft Arrests

A joint organizing committee representing several ultra-Orthodox communities announced that on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. it will hold a nationwide show of force in the form of a mass car convoy. Hundreds of vehicles are expected to leave from multiple ultra-Orthodox centers across Israel and drive toward military detention facilities where young Haredi men are being held after refusing military service.

The protest comes amid rising tension over the draft law and the arrests of yeshiva students. According to the plan, the convoys will depart simultaneously from gathering points in ultra-Orthodox cities and gradually merge on the main routes leading to military police bases. Organizers said turnout is expected to be high, and many drivers have already registered through community representatives.

Ultra-Orthodox leaders say the demonstration has the full backing of yeshiva heads and rabbis and is a response to what they call a deliberate campaign and an escalating wave of arrests of Torah students they describe as draft evaders. The organizers said the convoy has two aims, to show the authorities that the ultra-Orthodox public is united and will not be broken by sanctions and arrests, and to strengthen the spirits of the detainees and their families.

The convoy is expected to include cars carrying protest signs, flags and sound systems. The organizing committee said it is making extensive preparations, including close legal guidance, to keep the protest orderly and safe. Despite those assurances, the security establishment and police are preparing for major traffic disruptions on key roads from Wednesday afternoon.