Draft

The most recent proposal advanced is a bill that would halt the arrests of haredi draft evaders, which is set to be debated on Tuesday in the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

The bill seeks to enshrine Torah study in the country’s Basic Law as part of a proposal that critics argue encourages draft evasion and changes the status of yeshiva students who do not serve.

Protests cause heavy traffic on 29 major roads • Social media footage shows protesters and secular citizens in violent physical altercations • MKs Goldknopf, Malkieli attended protests

It is inconceivable to most of us living here that in the minds of some in the religious leadership in this country there is a belief that studying Torah is fully equivalent to serving in the army.

The indictment says protesters carried signs reading, “War on the draft law, in actions and not words,” and shouted slogans including “We will die and not enlist” and “Yuval Yamin is a traitor."

Explaining why she has voted against the legislation, Haskel said in her interview with the Post that, “we are at war, and when we have a pyramid of priorities, security always has to be on the top."

The Yeshivot Heseder leaders believe that mingling between men and women in such a small, secluded space would compromise modesty.

Israel Police said later on Wednesday that the Jerusalem protests had been dispersed and roads had reopened to traffic.

In addition, Jerusalem District Police raided the homes of suspects connected to the June 1 haredi riots in Beit Shemesh.

Border Police officers from the Jerusalem periphery unit and Jerusalem District police officers are operating at the scene.