Haredi Jews burn Israeli flag outside recruitment center in Tel Aviv
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Israeli media reports that Ultra-Orthodox Israeli Jews protested attempts to introduce new laws forcing them to enlist in the occupation army against their "biblical teachings".
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Hundreds of thousands of Israeli ultra-Orthodox protesting against plans to make them undergo military service in occupied al-Quds on March 2, 2024. (AFP)
Members of the Ultra-Orthodox Haredi Jews community set the Israeli occupation flag on fire while protesting conscription policies outside the military recruitment center in Tel Aviv, Israeli media reported.
Haredis have long protested against being drafted into the army on "biblical doctrinal" grounds, often chanting the slogan "We would rather die than enlist" during their demonstrations. Meanwhile, secular Israelis oppose the exemption of religious Jews from military service and the privileges they receive.
Read more: Boiling pot: 'Israel's' ideological discord
لحظة إحراق العلم الإسرائيلي أمام مقر التجنيد في تل أبيب من قبل الحريديم، وشرطة الاحتلال تعتقل عدداً منهم 👇#الميادين #فلسطين #غزة pic.twitter.com/GjZPTRHnVb
— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) May 3, 2024
In March, Israeli Chief Sephardic Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef threatened a mass departure from "Israel" if mandatory military drafting was enforced, sparking a great uproar within the entity already extremely divided on the matter, which was brought back to the spotlight after the war on Gaza began.
"We will buy tickets; there is no such thing as forcing us into the army. The state stands on this," Yosef said commenting on lawmakers' attempts to impose a mandatory conscription on Haredim.
Secular Israelis 'burdened to offer more sacrifices'
Several protests have erupted in "Israel" over the past few months over the issue.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other right-wing officials and lawmakers are against introducing changes to Haredim's status quo, one of the main reasons being that they comprise his government's core support base. The opposition on the other hand is pushing in the opposite direction.
Ultra-Orthodox Jews led some to reject amendments to their special status, while secular Israelis objected over why they were "burdened to offer more sacrifices" to fight for the entity. Both sides saw clashes with police forces.
It is estimated that there are about 50,000 Haredi orthodox young adults in occupied Palestine who are eligible for military recruitment. However, only 1,200 are signed up, according to 2019 statistics.
Two months ago, the Knesset passed a bill – needing two more readings – that would integrate more Ultra-Orthodox men into the army.
A Haredi journalist, Yanki Farber, suggests that if the bill comes into effect, it will be met with anger and opposition.
