Israel: Ultra-Orthodox Jews protest mandatory military service with widespread disruptions

Tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews took to the streets across Israel in widespread protests against mandatory military service. The demonstrations, which occurred on Monday, saw protesters blocking major roads and train lines, disrupting transportation nationwide.

In a show of defiance, demonstrators also set cars ablaze in several locations. The Israeli police reported that the protesters obstructed key intersections and, in one instance, attacked a soldier who had disembarked from a bus near a protest site. The unrest highlights deep divisions within Israeli society regarding religious exemptions from military duty.

The protests reflect a long-standing tension between the ultra-Orthodox community, which seeks to maintain its traditional way of life and exemption from conscription, and the broader Israeli public, which views military service as a civic duty. The government faces the challenge of balancing these competing demands.