Ultra-Orthodox car protest set to trigger major traffic jams nationwide

A new round of protest activity by ultra-Orthodox extremists is scheduled for Wednesday, with car convoys expected to depart from 19 cities across Israel and head toward Military Prison 10. Organizers say the vehicles will travel in coordinated convoys from major Haredi population centers and are likely to move along main roads, causing severe traffic disruptions.

The planned launch points are Elad, Ashdod, Tiberias, Beitar Illit, Beit Shemesh, Bnei Brak, Givat Ze'ev, Haifa, Hatzor HaGalilit, Jerusalem, Modi'in Illit, Nof HaGalil, Netanya, Emmanuel, Afula, Arad, Safed, Kiryat Gat and Rehovot. According to the organizers, the separate convoys will later merge into a single procession on the way to the military prison.

The protest follows what the article describes as the “success” of the previous campaign, which involved blocking roads and creating huge traffic jams. A statement from the Gur Hasidic community said, “We are not backing down,” and described the protest as part of a fight “for the honor of God and for His Torah.”

The Gur statement added that the goal is to show that the community will continue to insist on being “men of Torah” and sitting in the study hall. The article says the protest is intended as another stage in the broader ultra-Orthodox struggle over conscription.