Said Amori
11 June 2026•Update: 11 June 2026
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish protesters blocked major roads in central Israel on Thursday, bringing traffic to a near standstill in a second day of protests over mandatory military conscription, Israeli media reported.
According to the daily Yediot Ahronot, protesters blocked Highways 1, 4, and 6, strategic arteries connecting Tel Aviv and west Jerusalem, following the arrest of several Haredi protesters last week for attempting to storm the home of Supreme Court Deputy President Noam Solberg in protest against the enlistment of yeshiva students.
Protesters also halted train traffic in several areas after some demonstrators entered the railway tracks, leading to a partial paralysis of the network.
Injuries were reported among protesters when police attempted to intervene to reopen the blocked roads, according to medical sources and media reports.
Footage circulated on social media showed sporadic clashes between protesters and civilians on the blocked roads, according to Yedioth Ahronoth.
Israel’s Airports Authority said access to Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv was indirectly affected by train disruptions and severe traffic congestion on the roads following the protests.
On Wednesday, Haredi protesters assaulted Israeli police officers during similar protests in West Jerusalem.
Last week, Israeli police arrested 65 Haredi Jews after they attempted to storm Solberg’s home in the illegal settlement of Alon Shvut, southwest of East Jerusalem, in protest against the conscription of religious seminary students.
The Haredi community has continued demonstrations against military service since an Israeli Supreme Court ruling on June 25, 2024, ordered their conscription and barred funding for religious institutions whose students refuse military service.
Senior rabbis, whose rulings are widely regarded as binding religious guidance within the Haredi community, have repeatedly called on followers to refuse military service and even to “tear up” draft notices.
Haredi make up about 13% of Israel’s population of 10 million. Many oppose military service on the grounds that they devote their lives to studying the Torah and argue that integration into secular society threatens their religious identity and way of life.
The dispute over military conscription comes as Israel continues to mobilize thousands of reservists while maintaining military operations and escalating tensions across multiple fronts, including Lebanon, Iran, the Gaza Strip, and the occupied West Bank.
*Writing by Rasa Evrensel in Istanbul
