Jerusalem Anti‑Draft Rally Turns Violent

Tens of thousands — estimates up to about 200,000 — of ultra‑Orthodox Israelis staged a “Million Man” prayer rally and mass protest at the main entrances to Jerusalem on Oct. 30–31 to oppose proposed changes to long‑standing draft exemptions and recent arrests of draft‑evaders. The demonstration, which brought together multiple Haredi factions for the first time in years, shut down roads and much public transport and prompted authorities to deploy more than 2,000 police officers to secure the city. Clashes were reported between protesters and police — officers used water cannons as demonstrators allegedly threw stones and bottles, fires were set, and hundreds of people were arrested. A teenage boy died after falling from a building amid the crowds. The unrest has spurred related demonstrations abroad and intensified a political crisis for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as courts and officials move to end broad exemptions to meet wartime manpower needs.