Mass ultra-Orthodox protests block roads, halt traffic over arrest of draft dodgers

Description

Israeli police clashed with ultra-Orthodox Jewish protesters in Jerusalem on Monday, using water cannons and mounted units to disperse demonstrators who blocked a major intersection. Protesters sat on the road, blocking vehicles and police forces to demonstrate against the pressure to conscript the ultra-Orthodox community into the Israeli military. Clashes broke out as police advanced, with demonstrators confronting officers. Police deployed a water cannon, commonly referred to as a “skunk” or sprinkler, with several individuals being directly hit by the spray as police pushed forward. Mounted police units were also deployed, moving alongside officers on the ground to help disperse the crowd. In some instances, officers were seen dragging protesters away from the roadway. Drone footage showed multiple angles of the operation, including the water cannon in use and the continued blockage of the intersection. Military service is mandatory by Israeli law but the Jewish ultra-Orthodox population has been mostly exempt from conscription. Meanwhile, ultra-Orthodox lawmakers in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition are demanding legislation that will make this exemption legal. Netanyahu's other right-wing coalition partners - as well as opposition parties - argue that ultra-Orthodox men must share the burden of military service, particularly after two years of fighting in Gaza and Lebanon in which nearly 1,000 Israeli soldiers were killed.