Jerusalem Faction Plans Protest on Highway 4 Following Law Suspension on Draft Deferrals
Translated & summarized from Now 14 by baba
An extremist ultra-Orthodox faction in Jerusalem plans a protest on Highway 4 today against the Supreme Court's suspension of a law granting draft immunity to yeshiva students. The law was recently passed but halted by a court injunction following opposition petitions. Police expect traffic disruptions as the protest unfolds.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- An extremist Jerusalem ultra-Orthodox faction plans a protest today at 5 p.m. against draft immunity law suspension.
- The Supreme Court issued a temporary injunction halting the law granting immunity to draft-evading yeshiva students.
- Police expect protesters to block Highway 4, disrupting central Israel traffic in the afternoon.
- The law freezes arrests of draft-evading yeshiva students for five months pending status resolution.
- Several coalition members voted against the law; Prime Minister Netanyahu did not attend the vote.
- The protest highlights ongoing tensions over ultra-Orthodox military conscription reforms.
The extremist faction within the Jerusalem ultra-Orthodox community, led by Rabbi Tzvi Friedman’s students, announced plans to hold a protest today at 5 p.m. The demonstration is in response to the High Court of Justice’s conditional injunction suspending the recently passed law granting immunity to ultra-Orthodox draft evaders. While the exact location of the protest has not been disclosed, police anticipate that protesters will attempt to block Highway 4 in the afternoon, disrupting traffic in central Israel.
The law, which was approved after intense parliamentary debate, aimed to freeze arrests of yeshiva students evading military service for five months while their status is resolved. However, opposition parties quickly filed petitions against the law’s enactment, leading the Supreme Court to issue a temporary injunction delaying its implementation. Justice Groskopf stated, "A temporary order is hereby issued suspending the Security Service Law until further decision."
Despite the coalition’s support for the law as a necessary step toward a permanent draft arrangement, several coalition members, including Dan Illouz, Yuli Edelstein, and Sharren Haskel, voted against it. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not attend the vote. The protest reflects ongoing tensions surrounding the draft exemption issue and the ultra-Orthodox community’s resistance to military conscription reforms.
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