Hundreds of Thousands Ultra-Orthodox Protest Mandatory IDF Draft Jerusalem

Hundreds of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews protested in West Jerusalem against compulsory military service, calling it an attack on their religious identity and freedom to study religion. The protest, described as one of the largest in the country's history, faced logistical challenges when Israel Railways closed Jerusalem's Yitzhak Navon Station, citing crowding and security concerns due to its proximity to the rally site. Ultra-Orthodox leaders, including Shas party chairman Aryeh Deri, condemned the station closure as illegitimate, arguing it would prevent many protesters from attending and cause widespread disruptions, pressing National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Transportation Minister Miri Regev to intervene. Despite Israel Railways' stance that the closure was a police directive for public safety, critics pointed to previous protests where train services operated normally without issues. The closure and associated travel disruptions sparked frustration among commuters and highlighted tensions between the ultra-Orthodox community and authorities over the military draft issue. Lawmakers stressed the importance of enabling safe and smooth transportation to support the large-scale protest against mandatory conscription.