Full Breakdown
Haredi Riots and Police-Station Assaults Escalate Over Draft-evader Arrests
6/7/2026, 6:05:34 AM
Immediate Flashpoint: Attempts to Breach Police Stations
On Friday night, hundreds of ultra-Orthodox demonstrators gathered outside the Lev HaBira police station in Jerusalem’s Russian Compound and a police compound in Beit Shemesh. Protesters tried repeatedly to force open the main gates; police repelled them with batons, stun grenades and other crowd-control measures. In Jerusalem a secular by-stander was knocked to the ground, suffered a head wound and a torn ear after being kicked.
Background: Draft-exemption Tensions and Judicial Rulings
The unrest follows a long-standing dispute over the blanket exemption that allows many Haredi men to study full-time in yeshivas instead of serving in the Israel Defense Forces. The issue intensified after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack and a subsequent manpower shortage. In June 2023 the previous draft framework expired, prompting a High Court of Justice ruling that the government must devise a new enforcement policy. Deputy President of the Supreme Court Noam Sohlberg authored the November 2025 ruling urging swift legislative action.
Key Actors
- Noam Sohlberg – Deputy President of the Supreme Court, target of the June 3, 2026 home attack.
- Benjamin Netanyahu – Prime Minister, condemned the riots.
- Yossi Levi – CEO of the Netzah Yehuda Organization, representing ultra-Orthodox soldiers.
- Avigdor Liberman – MK, Yisrael Beytenu, vocal critic of the Haredi draft exemption.
- Chaim Taieb – Senior Israel Police superintendent overseeing the investigation.
Timeline of Recent Events
- May 25, 2026 – IDF requests police support for proactive arrests of draft dodgers; Police Commissioner Danny Levy declines.
- June 3, 2026 – Haredi protesters smash windows, flowerpots and a car windshield at Sohlberg’s home in Alon Shvut; an Israeli flag with a swastika is displayed. Over 60 participants are arrested.
- June 5, 2026 – Friday night protests at Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh police stations; attempts to breach gates and stone-throwing occur; 62 suspects are detained.
Scale of the Unrest
- Hundreds of demonstrators at each police-station site.
- 62 arrests linked to the Sohlberg home incident.
- Over 60 additional detainees from the police-station assaults, including eight arrested after the Beit Shemesh break-in.
- 18 suspects ordered to remain in custody pending further hearings.
Official Government and Police Responses
Prime Minister Netanyahu urged law-enforcement “to apply the full force of the law.” Justice Minister Yariv Levin called the violence “a pogrom” and demanded full condemnation. Defense Minister Israel Katz labeled the attackers “a small group of extremist criminals.” Police Superintendent Taieb described the events as “a serious criminal event with real intent to harm,” emphasizing that the arrests exceed routine protest handling.
Opposition and Criticism
MK Avigdor Liberman posted on X that rioters “aren’t Jewish, don’t observe mitzvot and have no God.” The Movement for Quality Government in Israel warned that “the rule of law cannot be silent” against such attacks. Uri Keidar, CEO of Israel Hofsheet, blamed the government’s “failure to confront Haredi draft evasion” for provoking the violence.
On-the-Ground Accounts
Ynet reported a civilian with a head wound and torn ear after being kicked. Police in both cities deployed batons and stun grenades; in Beit Shemesh stones were thrown at officers, prompting a dispersal operation lasting about an hour.
Conflicting Reports and Gaps
Police statements claimed a dispersal order was in effect, while a civilian dispatcher told a caller that “no dispersal order” existed. Some outlets reported that rioters successfully breached the Beit Shemesh compound; others said they were repelled. Details on the coordination among Haredi factions remain limited.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Even on Shabbat, the draft-dodging rioters prove that they aren’t Jewish, don’t observe mitzvot [Jewish commandments] and have no God,” — Avigdor Liberman, MK, Yisrael Beytenu
- “I strongly condemn the violent riot against Justice Noam Sohlberg. Law enforcement must apply the full force of the law against the rioters,” — Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel
- “ He added, “The rioters who carried out this serious act have no connection to the Torah or the values of the people of Israel.” — Israel Katz, Defense Minister
- “The direct attack on the Torah world and yeshiva students is causing direct harm to haredi recruitment for meaningful military service,” — Yossi Levi, CEO, Netzah Yehuda Organization
- “a good and honest man who delivers justice that is righteous and true... and look what they did,” — Rabbi Yaakov Medan, Har Etzion Yeshiva
Outlook
Police investigations remain ongoing, with prosecutors seeking to extend detentions and identify coordinating factions. The government faces pressure to enact a new draft-evasion framework while balancing security concerns with community relations, suggesting further legal and legislative actions in the coming weeks.
