‘Destruction of Judaism’: Thousands of haredim protest draft law in Jerusalem
Hundred of haredim protest against draft law in Jerusalem, January 6, 2026. (photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem/Jerusalem Post)
Hundreds of Israel and Border Police personnel were stationed in the area to “maintain security, public order, and the safety of all participants and city residents.”
Thousands of haredi (ultra-Orthodox) protesters demonstrated against the haredi draft law along Bar-Ilan Road and nearby streets in Jerusalem on Monday.
“Agreeing to a draft law is agreeing to the destruction of Judaism,” some of the signs held by protesters read.
Other signs allege that the Israeli government discriminates against Sephardic Jews, calling Israel an “apartheid state.”
According to Ynet, the protest was organized by Moshe Tzedaka, Rabbi of Porat Yosef Yeshiva, a prominent voice against haredi conscription into the IDF, along with other haredi leaders.
Hundred of haredim protest against draft law in Jerusalem, January 6, 2026. (credit: Marc Israel Sellem/Jerusalem Post)
Hundreds of Israel and Border Police personnel were stationed in the area to “maintain security, public order, and the safety of all participants and city residents, and to direct traffic in the area,” the police said earlier on Monday.
Israel Police also warned of heavy traffic in the area, including around the entrance and exit to Jerusalem.
Ultra-Orthodox protests erupt across Israel on haredi IDF enlistment day
The mass Jerusalem protest follows Sunday’s protests, where haredim demonstrated against the IDF enlistment day, recruiting haredi conscripts into combat units in Israel’s military.
Clashes broke out between police officers and haredi protesters outside the Jerusalem recruitment office, while an illegal demonstration also took place near the IDF recruitment office in Kiryat Ono, blocking the entrance to the Tel Hashomer military base.
A haredi protester said “recruitment offices are like extermination ovens to us,” when speaking to Kan News outside of the Tel Hashomer base.
He added that the offices are places “where hundreds and thousands entered wearing a kippah, tzitzit, and keeping Shabbat and mitzvot, and tens of percent left without them […] we will continue to fight until the rule of evil is overturned.”
Keshet Neev contributed to this report.
