Israel Sees Ultra-Orthodox Road and Rail Protests Over Draft

Tens of thousands of ultra‑Orthodox demonstrators took to the streets across Israel on June 1, 2026, blocking major roads and railway lines in Jerusalem and the Tel Aviv metropolitan area and setting several cars ablaze. Police struggled to disperse the crowds, using water cannons, mounted units and horses, and reported an assault on a soldier who disembarked from a bus near a protest site.

The protests target longstanding exemptions that allow ultra‑Orthodox men to study full‑time in religious seminaries instead of serving in the Israel Defense Forces. Roughly 13,000 ultra‑Orthodox men reach conscription age each year but fewer than 10 % enlist, according to a parliamentary committee. The government is facing severe soldier shortages while maintaining military operations in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and a concurrent war with Iran. The unrest threatens Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition, with ultra‑Orthodox parties having withdrawn their support and calls for early elections circulating.