by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Jerusalem was brought to a halt Thursday as hundreds of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews flooded the city’s western entrance in what organizers called the “Million Man March,” protesting the government’s proposed draft law. The massive rally–one of the largest in recent Israeli history–sparked chaos, violence, and tragedy, leaving a 15-year-old boy dead after falling from a construction site overlooking the demonstration.
The protest, which began as a “cry of prayer,” quickly escalated into a tense standoff between police and demonstrators. Trains and buses were suspended, major roads sealed, and Jerusalem’s Yitzhak Navon train station shut down amid a crush of crowds. Police reported one officer injured near Motza after being struck by a reversing bus in the gridlock.
Videos circulating online showed chanting masses filling highways and intersections, with journalists caught in the turmoil. Channel 12 reporter Inbal Tvizer was pelted with bottles and insults during a live broadcast, as officers struggled to maintain control.
The outpouring reflected deepening national divisions over the Netanyahu government’s plan to draft ultra-Orthodox men–known as Haredim–into the military. Protesters waved signs reading “We’ll die rather than enlist,” while reservists staged a counterprotest nearby, demanding equality in national service.
Teen Falls to Death Amid Overcrowding
As the rally peaked in the late afternoon, tragedy struck when a 15-year-old boy fell from the 20th floor of a construction site where youths had climbed to watch the demonstration. Emergency crews battled through packed streets but found the boy fatally injured. Police opened an investigation and ordered organizers to disperse.
Political Crisis Over the Draft Law
The protest comes amid a political crisis within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition. Israel’s Supreme Court recently ruled that yeshiva students who avoid military service may no longer receive government stipends, forcing Netanyahu to present a new draft law or risk violating the ruling.
His ultra-Orthodox partners, Shas and United Torah Judaism, have vowed to collapse the government if conscription is enforced. In response, Netanyahu replaced Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Yuli Edelstein with Likud loyalist Boaz Bismuth, who drafted a softened version of the bill–removing penalties, enlistment quotas, and redefining who qualifies as Haredi.
Leaked copies of the “Bismuth Law” sparked outrage among opposition lawmakers and reservist groups. “This is not a draft law–it’s a surrender,” one opposition member said on Israeli radio.
Counterprotest: “Enough Is Enough”
At a smaller gathering nearby, Maj. (res.) Yoav Adomi, founder of The Reservists, accused the government of betraying those who serve. “The people who saved this country on Oct. 7 were reservists and civilians who stood up,” he told The Media Line. “Now the Knesset is advancing a shameful law that guarantees the Haredim never will.”
Adomi, who has served 350 days in reserve duty since the Gaza war began, said Israel’s security was being undermined by political appeasement. “This is what happens when a government is slaughtered by non-Zionist forces,” he said. “It produces non-Zionist laws that harm the security of the state.”
Lapid Blasts Protesters
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid released a scathing video condemning the rally: “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 vowed that “what has been, won’t be any longer. Everyone will enlist, everyone will work, everyone will defend the state.”
City Shuts Down, Tensions Soar
Police deployed hundreds of officers, closed Route 1 from Latrun to Givat Shaul, and restricted entry to pre-approved buses escorted by police. Jerusalem’s light rail operated only in partial service, while Israel Railways closed the Yitzhak Navon station “to protect public safety.”
Ultra-Orthodox lawmakers blasted the move as discriminatory. MK Aryeh Deri (Shas) and MK Yisrael Eichler (UTJ) accused authorities of “persecuting the haredi public,” demanding that train access be restored.
Businesses across the capital shuttered. One advertising firm announced its closure with frustration: “My business, already hurt by 450 days of reserve duty, will close tomorrow so draft-dodgers can protest in peace.”
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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