Jerusalem, 8 October, 2026 (TPS-IL) — JERUSALEM — Israeli police deployed riot-control gear Thursday to disperse hundreds of Haredi (ultra-orthodox) anti-draft demonstrators blocking major traffic arteries and assaulting motorists in Central Jerusalem.
Jerusalem District officers, Border Police, and tactical units intervened after demonstrators damaged vehicles and ignored official orders to clear roadways.
Concurrently, police in Modi’in Illit dispersed a crowd surrounding a building housing two Israeli parliament members, safely extracting the lawmakers without casualties.
Police Commissioner General Dani Levi ordered field commanders to take decisive action against unlawful blockades, emphasizing zero tolerance for civil disruption.
“Protest is a right; violating public order is not,” Levi stated, as authorities warned that any demonstration escalating into violence would be met with immediate arrests.
The ultra-orthodox are protesting against the possibility of losing their Tora-study exemptions and being drafted into the military.