Full Breakdown
Ultra-Orthodox Protests Escalate Over Draft Enforcement
6/9/2026, 11:42:44 PM
Escalating Violence Over Draft Enforcement
In the past week demonstrators blocked Route 38 in Ramat Shlomo, halted traffic at Tunnel Checkpoint, and tried to breach a Jerusalem police station. Fires were lit, windows shattered, and a police-station compound was broken into. The actions followed Justice Noam Sohlberg’s Supreme Court ruling ordering conscription of yeshiva students and police arrests of draft evaders. A false report of a draft-dodger arrest initially sparked the Ramat Shlomo blockade, later identified as a traffic stop.
Key Actors
Justice Noam Sohlberg authored the draft-enforcement ruling; Avshalom Peled leads Jerusalem District Police; the Jerusalem Faction directs street actions; Meir Porush and Yitzhak Goldknopf represent Haredi voters; Shas and Chabad issued condemnations; Aryeh Ehrlich, a Chabad commentator, attacked Sohlberg.
Chronology and Arrest Figures
May 27: IDF sought police help for mass draft arrests. June 1: riots at a Beit Shemesh police station. Wednesday night: rioters vandalized Justice Sohlberg’s home. Tuesday: eight arrests during the Ramat Shlomo blockade. Sunday: dozens blocked the Tunnel Checkpoint; 52 detainees received four-day extensions. Authorities have held about 65 suspects, 62 presented for remand.
Official Responses
Police commander Avshalom Peled called the attacks “a direct attack on legal institutions of the State of Israel” and warned that “the long arm of the police will reach” anyone who harms officers. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said an exemption law “will not pass in the near future.”
Ultra-Orthodox Opposition
Protesters chant “God is our king, and we are His servants… the holy Torah is our life,” see conscription as religious violation. Aryeh Ehrlich said Sohlberg destroys lives; Meir Porush shouted “Romans! Bolsheviks!”; a UTJ figure warned “if you grasp too much, you grasp nothing.”
Eyewitness Accounts
A yeshiva student on the Chords Bridge told a reporter that he does not consider himself Israeli and that the country does not interest him. A protester fell from a crane during a large demonstration, highlighting the danger.
Conflicting Reports
The Ramat Shlomo blockade was first linked to a draft-dodger arrest, later clarified as a traffic stop. Sources differ on detainee totals—some cite 65 suspects, others 62 presented for remand. The status of five detained minors remains unclear.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We will not tolerate any harm to the symbols of government and to the valuable police officers who work to protect the law and the public,” — Avshalom Peled, Jerusalem District Police Commander
- “We are not Israelis, and this country does not interest us,” — Yeshiva student, Chords Bridge
- “Bolsheviks” — Meir Porush, United Torah Judaism MK
- “Sohlberg threw the first match into the blaze after he forced the police to arrest draft dodgers. Justice Sohlberg does not destroy flowerpots. He destroys the lives of Jews.” — Aryeh Ehrlich, Chabad commentator
Outlook
Police expect further protests as the Knesset debates an exemption law. Officials warn that rising street violence may trigger broader security measures, while ultra-Orthodox leaders foresee a “massive blowup” before any compromise.
