JERUSLEM/ISTANBUL 

Dozens of ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel demonstrated in West Jerusalem on Wednesday against compulsory military service.

Protesters blocked the road in front of a recruitment office in West Jerusalem and set fire to a garbage container, chanting slogans saying they “would rather die” than be drafted into the army, according to the Times of Israel news site.

Israeli police dispersed the crowd using a water cannon truck, while an officer estimated the number of protesters at between 100 and 120.

The Israeli opposition accuses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of seeking to pass a law exempting the ultra-Orthodox Jews from military service, in response to demands by his coalition partners, the Shas and United Torah Judaism parties.

The two parties had withdrawn from the government earlier this year but have expressed readiness to return once a law meeting their demands is passed.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews, or Haredi, who make up about 13% of Israel’s population of 10 million, claim military service threatens their religious identity and community structure, as they dedicate their lives to Torah study. Prominent rabbis have urged followers to reject the draft and “tear up enlistment orders.”

For decades, most ultra-Orthodox men avoided service through repeated deferments for religious study until reaching the exemption age, currently set at 26.