Jerusalem: Israeli teenager killed in anti-conscription protest

An 18-year-old man was killed after a bus ran over pedestrians protesting in Jerusalem against the Israeli military’s conscription of ultra-Orthodox Jews, as reported by Al-Monitor via AFP on January 6th.

The bus ran over three pedestrians before striking the 18-year-old, who became trapped under the vehicle. Rescuers from the Magen David Adom emergency service stated that “Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.”

According to a police statement, the protest turned violent after “a small group of rioters began violently disturbing public order, including by blocking traffic routes, damaging buses, [and] setting trash bins on fire.”

Demonstrators were accused of “throwing objects and eggs at police officers and Border Police, shouting invective, and assaulting journalists working at the scene”.

In recent months, thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews have demonstrated against a law that would force them to enlist in the army. The protests have also been in response to the arrests of draft dodgers, with protestors climbing onto balconies, buildings, bridges and petrol stations.

On April 23rd, 2025, an Israeli Knesset statement said, “Out of 18,915 Haredi men issued conscription orders during the current enlistment cycle, only 232 have joined the army, 57 of them in combat roles.”

Historically, ultra-Orthodox (or Haredi) Jews have been exempt from mandatory conscription into the Israeli army, with many objecting to conscription because they want to “preserve a lifestyle lived according to the Torah.”

Since Israel’s establishment in 1948, a ruling stipulated that men who are fully committed to the full-time study of Jewish texts were permitted not to serve in the military.

This is despite that upon turning 18, most Israeli-Jews are required to complete a minimum of two years’ military service. In March 2024, thousands of Israelis protested in Jerusalem against the continued exemption of ultra-Orthodox Jews from mandatory service laws.

Israel’s military has been experiencing a shortfall, which has led the Israeli government to urge the Jewish diaspora to emigrate to Israel, where they will be expected to serve in the military.

The shortfall is due to Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, which continues to strain military resources. To address this issue, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated in June 2025 that enlisting ultra-Orthodox men was a “national and security need.”

During a December 23rd speech, Defence Minister Israel Katz announced plans to construct Nahal settlements in northern Gaza, which refer to outposts established by Israeli soldiers to encourage Haredi men to enlist.

Al-Monitor via AFP, Maghrebi.org