News- Middle East: Tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jewish settlers have staged a massive protest in Occupied al-Quds against plans to draft them into the Israeli military, declaring they “would rather go to jail.”

Worried about the Israeli regime’s military corrupting their religious traditions, the Haredim, which make up about 14% of the Israeli settlers' population, took to the streets on Thursday, leading to the regime’s deployment of more than 2,000 troops to confront them.

The protest largely crippled the occupied city, with roads closed and public transportation halted by the massive crowds.

One teenager reportedly died at the protest after falling from a building under construction next to the protest. After several hours, police used water cannons to disperse the protesters who refused to leave the streets.

The demonstrators oppose military service because they believe full-time study in religious seminaries is their highest duty.

Their political representatives pursue a permanent draft exemption as well as increased community budgets. Nevertheless, they have failed to secure the budget that allows full-time religious study with stipends, though temporary funding measures remain.

The mass demonstration exposed sharp rifts within settler society and across its political spectrum regarding the long-standing draft exemption granted to ultra-Orthodox Jews, a policy dating back to the regime’s fabrication in 1948.

In August, ultra-Orthodox Jewish leaders and media declared a “War for God” against the Israeli military’s enforcement of draft orders for Haredi men, highlighting the deepening divisions within settler society amid the ongoing war on Gaza.

It took place amid intense pressure on Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose fragile regime is supported by ultra-Orthodox parties.

The parties withdrew from Netanyahu’s coalition over the summer over his failure to strike a balance between the ultra-Orthodox settlers and the secular Jewish faction demanding that the ultra-Orthodox be drafted into the Israeli military.

Nevertheless, they continue to occasionally align with Netanyahu, driven by their political vulnerability and the need to preserve their coalition’s stability.

The issue has become a major point of contention, especially since the Israeli regime began its genocidal war on Gaza.

The war has reportedly resulted in the deaths of around 900 Israeli soldiers and forced troops to deploy for extended periods during repeated military raids, driven by the intensity of the regime’s assaults on Palestinians.

The Israeli military is now facing an urgent shortage of personnel, with its soldiers fatigued and depleted.

The protest was triggered by the decision to bring the draft legislation for discussion in a Knesset committee next week. This is the first step before the bill can be brought to the general Knesset for a vote.

The exemption was initially granted to small numbers of gifted scholars but has expanded over decades under pressure from powerful political lobbies.

In 2017, the regime declared the exemptions illegal, but has so far failed to include the ultra-Orthodox population in the conscription list.

Elections are currently scheduled for next November, but Netanyahu could likely be forced to call early elections in the next few months.

Source: Press TV