Two female Israeli soldiers were chased by a group of ultra-Orthodox\nJewish men in the city of Bnei Brak on Sunday (15 February). The\nincident, which sparked unrest and required riot police intervention, is\nlinked to rules mandating military service for all Israeli citizens,\nincluding the ultra-Orthodox community.<\/p>\n
Several videos circulating on social media showed female IDF soldiers\nrunning through streets strewn with rubbish and overturned bins.<\/p>\n
In the same footage, police were seen forming protective barricades.\nMore than 20 people were arrested, according to media reports following\nthe incident.<\/p>\n
According to multiple reports, the IDF soldiers were in the Bnei Brak\narea to carry out conscription duties. For decades, ultra-Orthodox Jews\nhad been exempt from military service. However, the Israeli government\u2019s\nplans to change these rules have recently provoked anger within the\ncommunity.<\/p>\n
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the incident\ninvolving the female IDF soldiers, calling it \u201cunacceptable\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose who are protesting are an extreme minority who do not\nrepresent the entire Haredi [ultra-Orthodox] community,\u201d Netanyahu wrote\nin a post on X.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will not allow anarchy, and we will not tolerate any harm to IDF\nmembers and security forces who carry out their duties with dedication\nand determination,\u201d Netanyahu said.<\/p>\n
Jewish religious leaders also condemned the actions of the\nultra-Orthodox groups involved in the unrest.<\/p>\n
Riot police in Bnei Brak, on the outskirts of Tel Aviv, used grenades\nto disperse the crowd. Police arrested 23 people following the\ndisturbance.<\/p>\n
Three police officers were reported injured and several police\nvehicles were damaged. A patrol car was overturned and a police\nmotorcycle was set alight.<\/p>\n
When the clashes erupted, several female IDF soldiers were conducting\nan official visit to the home of another soldier, Israeli television\nstation Kan reported.<\/p>\n
The ultra-Orthodox population currently accounts for 14 per cent of\nIsrael\u2019s population.<\/p>\n
At the end of 2025, hundreds of thousands of people participated in\nthe largest anti-conscription protest organised by ultra-Orthodox\nIsraelis in recent years.<\/p>\n
The conscription issue has intensified since the armed conflict in\nGaza following 7 October 2023.<\/p>\n
The Israeli government is currently debating a bill that would\nrequire ultra-Orthodox men to undertake compulsory military service.\nThose affected would be men not currently enrolled in full-time\nreligious studies.<\/p>\n
Since the State of Israel was declared in 1948, students fully\nenrolled in religious schools or yeshivas have been exempt from military\nservice.<\/p>\n
More than a decade ago, the exemption was declared unconstitutional\nby the Israeli Supreme Court.<\/p>\n
The exemption has since been formally suspended by the court. The\ngovernment has begun enforcing conscription within the community.<\/p>\n
The ultra-Orthodox population has more than doubled its share of\nIsrael\u2019s total population over the past seven decades, now reaching 14\nper cent.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ultra-orthodox-jewish-group-chases-female-israeli-soldiers-in-protest-against-compulsory-military-service-1771400408", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }