October 31, 2025
Around 200,000 ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) men blocked the entrance to Jerusalem on 30 October to protest government plans to expand mandatory military conscription for their community. The protest escalated as protestors clashed with police officers, and pieces of tarpaulin were set on fire. Roads in and around Jerusalem were closed, and routes were diverted due to the protest. The ongoing struggle over the conscription law places extreme pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s fragile coalition government, as key Haredi parties could withdraw support.