Haredi Draft Protests Disrupt Highways and Rail Across Israel

In a recent i24NEWS English YouTube video titled "Clashes break out during protest in support of draft evaders," footage shows police deploying stun grenades against Jerusalem Faction demonstrators blocking Highway 6 near the Hadid Tunnel on Thursday, June 11.

Decades-Old Conscription Fault Line Reaches New Peak

The current wave of Haredi demonstrations stems directly from the IDF’s enforcement of conscription orders against yeshiva students who have refused military service under the 1948 exemption framework still applied to full-time Torah scholars.

On Thursday, June 11, and Friday, June 12, the Jerusalem Faction, a hardline group opposed to any draft compromise, mobilized hundreds of protesters at multiple sites including Highway 1 near the Ganot Interchange and Highways 25 and 34 near Netivot.

The Knesset advanced legislation earlier this month that would extend certain financial and legal rights currently reserved for IDF soldiers to men who remain in yeshiva, a move Haredi parties Shas and United Torah Judaism have threatened to punish by withholding coalition support.

Targeted Road Blockades Create Nationwide Gridlock

Protesters positioned themselves on Highway 4 between Hashiva and Mesuvim junctions, forcing police to close lanes for several hours on Thursday afternoon and again on Friday morning.

Rail operators suspended service on the Tel Aviv–Jerusalem line after demonstrators entered tracks near the Geha Interchange, stranding passengers at Ben-Gurion Airport’s rail terminal for more than two hours.

Transportation Minister Miri Regev’s spokesperson reported that the windshield of her official vehicle was smashed during an altercation at the Ganot Interchange protest site on Friday.

Injuries and Confrontations at Multiple Interchanges

A 93-year-old pedestrian suffered serious injuries after being struck by a vehicle attempting to pass through the Geha Interchange blockade on Thursday evening.

Police recorded that a 21-year-old protester sustained moderate injuries when hit by a car near the Ganot Interchange on the same day.

Video circulated on Friday showing a female driver exiting her vehicle with a sharp object and advancing toward demonstrators at the same Ganot location before officers intervened.

Security Forces Respond to Attacks on Soldiers and Judges

Three IDF soldiers were rescued by police after being surrounded and assaulted by a crowd in Jerusalem’s Shmuel Hanavi neighborhood on Thursday night.

Authorities increased protection around Supreme Court President Yitzhak Amit’s residence in Mevaseret Zion following reports that protesters planned to gather outside judicial homes.

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett posted on X that the road blockades constituted “a real civil war on Israel’s roads,” urging swift enforcement of conscription laws.

Coalition Stability and IDF Manpower Concerns

United Torah Judaism and Shas MKs warned this week that they would boycott Knesset votes on the state budget if the draft exemption bill is not passed in its current form.

Defense officials have stated that the IDF requires an additional 10,000 conscripts annually to maintain current operational tempo along the Gaza border and in the West Bank.

Shin Bet assessments presented to the Prime Minister’s Office last month flagged the conscription dispute as a growing internal security risk that could divert resources from external threats posed by Hezbollah and Hamas.

Daily Life and Regional Security Ramifications

Residents of Netivot and surrounding southern communities reported being unable to reach workplaces in Tel Aviv for the second consecutive morning after Highways 25 and 34 remained closed.

Foreign Ministry spokespeople noted that the internal unrest coincides with ongoing diplomatic efforts to secure additional U.S. munitions shipments ahead of potential escalation with Iran-backed groups.

Analysts at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv warned that prolonged Haredi non-compliance reduces the available reserve pool at a time when regular forces are stretched across multiple fronts.