Tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Israelis took to the streets Monday, June 2, blocking roads and train lines and setting cars on fire to protest mandatory enlistment in the Israeli military. The demonstrations stretched across the country.
The protests center on a long-running dispute over whether ultra-Orthodox Jewish men should be required to serve in the Israel Defense Forces — an obligation that applies to most other Israeli citizens. Ultra-Orthodox communities have historically claimed exemptions rooted in religious study, a carve-out that has drawn resentment from secular and non-ultra-Orthodox Israelis who argue the burden of service falls unevenly on them.
Monday’s unrest went beyond marches. Demonstrators blocked key transit corridors and, according to NPR, set cars on fire — a level of disruption that marked one of the more intense rounds of street action tied to the draft controversy.
The Israeli government has faced mounting legal and political pressure over the exemptions. Israel’s Supreme Court ruled in 2024 that the state could no longer fund yeshiva students who avoided service, a decision that sharpened the conflict between ultra-Orthodox political factions and the broader coalition government. The question of how — or whether — to enforce conscription on that community hasn’t been resolved.
No immediate casualty figures from Monday’s demonstrations were reported by NPR, and it wasn’t clear how long the road and rail disruptions lasted.
Originally reported by NPR. Read the original report.
