Clashes between Haredim and IOF: 'Recruitment is worse than death'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli Media
6 Aug 2024 22:27
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Clashes broke out between Israeli occupation police and dozens of Haredim settlers from the Yerushalmi faction who stormed the recruitment base in Tel HaShomer.

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A screengrab of clashes between Haredim and Israeli occupation police in Tel HaShomer in 'Israel' on Tuesday, August 6, 2024 (Social media)

Clashes broke out between Israeli occupation police and settlers from the Yerushalmi Haredim at the recruitment base in Tel HaShomer in the Ramat Gan area south of Tel Aviv, according to Israeli media.

This occurred after Haredim from the Yerushalmi faction stormed the base to release the Haredim who were forcefully conscripted into the Israeli occupation forces.

During their storming of the Tel HaShomer base, they chanted anti-recruitment slogans, such as "Recruitment is worse than death."

In light of this, Israeli media reported that the first day of Haredim recruitment failed, with "only a few of the invited youths responding."

'Israel' witnesses stormy protests outside draft office for Haredim

Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Israelis gathered, earlier on Monday, to protest near the entrance of the Tel Hashomer base, as per Israeli media reports. This demonstration followed an IOF order requiring 1,200 ultra-Orthodox men to report to the base to start the enlistment process.

Both the Shas party's Council of Torah Sages and Rabbi David Landau, leader of the non-Hasidic Ashkenazi community, have explicitly instructed their followers to avoid the draft office entirely, including the initial screening, and to refrain from military service.

Hundreds of Haredim arrived by bus at the recruitment office at the base, protesting the Israeli military's call for 1,200 Haredim as part of the initial recruitment order.

The protesting Haredim chanted slogans rejecting enlistment, including "We'd rather die than join the army." Meanwhile, both the police and the Israeli military deployed a large force to the area, with the police having already closed off the street around the office.