Jerusalem’s western entrance was transformed into a sea of black coats and banners on October 30, 2025, as hundreds of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews converged for one of the largest protests the city has seen in years. The catalyst? A fiercely contested government plan to end decades-old exemptions and draft ultra-Orthodox men—known as Haredim—into the Israeli military. The demonstration, dubbed the “Million Man March,” brought the city to a grinding halt, underscoring the deep rifts in Israeli society over religion, national service, and the future of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s fragile coalition.
From early morning, the scale of the protest was unmistakable. Highways leading into Jerusalem were closed, trains stopped running, and the Yitzhak Navon train station was shuttered as crowds poured in from across the country, according to the Associated Press. Police deployed more than 2,000 officers, but even that force seemed overwhelmed by the sheer number of demonstrators. Streets jammed with buses and chanting men, while spiritual music blared from speakers, set the tone for a day of unrest and unity among the ultra-Orthodox community.
The ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi, community comprises about 13-14% of Israel’s population—roughly 1.3 million people, as reported by BBC and AP. Their opposition to military service is rooted in a tradition that dates to Israel’s founding in 1948, when a small number of gifted scholars were exempted from the draft to dedicate themselves to full-time religious study. Over the decades, political deals expanded these exemptions, but recent Supreme Court rulings have declared them illegal, putting the government under intense pressure to find a new legal framework.
The protest on October 30 was not only massive in scale but also remarkable for its unity. Almost all sects and factions of the Haredi community participated, setting aside internal differences to present a united front. "What is uniting them is their opposition not only to moves to enforce conscription for more of their community, but also anger at hundreds of arrests in recent months of ultra-Orthodox men avoiding the draft," BBC noted. For many Haredim, the prospect of conscription is seen as an existential threat to their way of life. One protester, Baruch Debchic, captured the mood succinctly: "An 18-year-old can be put in jail for wanting to dedicate his life to be a scholar and learn Torah exclusively. That is the very sad situation we’re in today," he told the Associated Press.
The demonstration was strictly segregated by gender in accordance with religious modesty rules. The main protest was male-only, with a small, separated area set aside for women. Tensions flared when Channel 12 correspondent Inbal Tvizer attempted to report from the scene and was chased away by demonstrators, who hurled bottles and insults. Tragically, the day was marred by the death of a 15-year-old boy who fell from the 20th floor of a construction site overlooking the protest. Emergency crews struggled to reach him through the packed streets, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Police opened an investigation and eventually used water cannons to disperse the remaining protesters who refused to leave, as recounted by The Media Line and AP.
The political stakes could hardly be higher. Netanyahu’s coalition is heavily dependent on the support of ultra-Orthodox parties—Shas and United Torah Judaism—who have made it clear they will not accept any law that mandates their followers serve in the military. The Supreme Court’s declaration that the government could no longer fund yeshivas whose students avoid military service has put Netanyahu in a bind: act to enforce the law and risk losing his coalition, or delay and risk a constitutional crisis. According to The Media Line, Netanyahu responded by replacing the head of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee with a loyalist, Boaz Bismuth, who drafted a new version of the bill. The Bismuth bill reportedly removes penalties, erases enlistment quotas, and redefines who qualifies as Haredi—concessions seen by critics as capitulation.
Leaks of the bill’s details set off a political firestorm. Opposition lawmakers and reservist organizations condemned the proposal as a "surrender." One opposition member told Israeli radio, "This is not a draft law—it’s a surrender." The controversy quickly spilled into the streets, as reservists organized a counterprotest near Binyanei HaUma. Maj. (res.) Yoav Adomi, a founder of The Reservists, explained to The Media Line, "All the organizations representing those who serve joined us. Together we’re saying: enough. We will not let this disgrace continue." Adomi, who has served 350 days of reserve duty since the Gaza war began, accused the government of being "held hostage by non-Zionist forces," arguing that the proposed law "guarantees [the Haredim] never will" enlist.
The war in Gaza has only sharpened these divisions. Over 900 Israeli soldiers have been killed since the conflict began, with many reservists serving multiple tours. The general public’s frustration is palpable, as many feel the Haredim are not sharing the burden of national defense. Opposition Leader Yair Lapid’s response went viral: "I want to say to all these young people, who went to this disgraceful ‘We’ll die rather than enlist’ demonstration in Jerusalem, if you’re able to travel to a protest, you’re able to travel to an induction center. If you’re able to march in the street, you’re able to march in basic training and defend the State of Israel." Lapid concluded with a pledge: "Everyone will enlist, everyone will work, everyone will defend the state."
Yet, as Shuki Friedman of the Jewish People Policy Institute explained to AP, some voices within the Haredi community are quietly advocating for compromise—perhaps allowing those not engaged in full-time religious study to serve. But the protest was designed as a show of unity against any compromise, reflecting deep fears of internal division and external pressure.
The events of October 30 have already entered Israel’s collective memory. The images of packed roads, chaos at construction sites, the tragic death of a teenager, and reservists standing in quiet defiance have become symbols of a society at a crossroads. As The Media Line put it, "The rally in Jerusalem was not just a protest over a bill. It was a snapshot of a country still struggling to agree on what binds it together. After two years of war and loss, the divide between belief and duty has become impossible to ignore."
With the draft bill scheduled for committee discussion the following week, the future of Netanyahu’s government—and perhaps the very fabric of Israeli society—hangs in the balance. Whether the law moves forward or stalls, the question now is not just who will serve, but whether the idea of serving together still means anything at all.
