Tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews protest military draft in Jerusalem

Описание: (30 Oct 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jerusalem – 30 October 2025
1. Various of ultra-Orthodox protest
2. Pan of protesters praying
3. Yellow smoke used to disperse protesters, Israeli police running after protesters
4. Water bottles being thrown at police
5. SOUNDBITE (Hebrew) name not given, ultra-Orthodox protester:
“I’m here, and we are all here, to say one message, that we are one people, and we are all Jews. We love each other and we love you, and you have to love us, and we are all one people. It is not worth to fight with each other, we are all for the Torah, we are the children of the creator of the world in this country. And we all need to be one people. We are all a family. Don't go against us by force, we ask you. We love you. We don't want there to be a war, God forbid. Because it is not possible to go against the spirit, because the spirit can't be defeated. And we will go according to our rabbis, what our rabbis tell us, but we ask that we can live here in love. It is not a rally against anyone. We are not against, we are only for the Torah, for the people of Israel, for the land of Israel.”
6. Various of protesters talking to supporter of mandatory military draft for all
7. SOUNDBITE (English) David Sherez, supporter of mandatory military draft for all:
"I'm here today on behalf of all the reservists, all the soldiers, all of the people who were injured in this war, all the families who lost their beloveds. To tell my brothers, the Haredim (the Ultra-Orthodox), join us. There is no contradiction between serving in the Army and serving the Torah and studying Torah. No contradiction at all. You can be part of Israel, part of the Zionist state, and still study Torah. And you are here saying that you are not part of it. You are saying that we would prefer to die and not to serve in the Israeli army. And I'm telling you, don't do it. Change the direction on behalf of, for Israel, for our future. You can do better, we can be together, united. And we need you here together with us in the army, in the economy, in Israel for our future.”
8. Various of protest
9. Various of protesters dancing in circles
10. Paramedics carrying protester on stretcher
11. Protesters on bridge
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Baruch Debchic, Ultra-Orthodox protester:
“We very much appreciate all the soldiers who do everything and risk their lives, and do everything else, even those who don't risk their lives, to do everything we need to protect the state. But there is a complete lack of appreciation of the creative community and what the Torah learners do.”
13. Protester carrying banner reading (English) “God of the Jews please save all the Jews from the immodest and promiscuous army”
14. Pan from protesters to police
15. Protester carrying banner reading (Hebrew) “Closing the Yeshivas, is a decree of extermination against Judaism”
16. Various of protest
STORYLINE:
Tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox men covered downtown Jerusalem in a sea of black Thursday to protest plans to draft them into the military, singing, clapping and holding signs saying they would rather go to jail.

Deep divisions in Israeli society over the current draft exemption given to the ultra-Orthodox has emerged as the most serious threat to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.

The embattled leader relies on ultra-Orthodox parties to keep his government limping along, but their attempts to pass a law to permanently exempt ultra-Orthodox Israelis from military service could sink his government and spark early elections.



AP video by Alon Bernstein, Moshe Edri



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