Haredi Draft Protest in Jerusalem Turns Deadly

Tens to hundreds of thousands of ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) men massed in Jerusalem in a “million-man” protest against plans to draft them, clogging roads, halting public transport and paralysing parts of the city. The rally — called amid a June 2024 Supreme Court ruling and ongoing parliamentary debate over a conscription bill — saw portions of the roughly 200,000-strong crowd clash with police, start fires, and attack a female journalist live on air; police deployed about 2,000 officers. Organizers ended the demonstration after dozens climbed an unfinished high-rise and a 20-year-old man, identified by Hebrew media as Menachem Mendel Litzman, fell to his death; police have opened an investigation. The protest has intensified political strain on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, with ultra-Orthodox parties pressing for legislation to preserve exemptions and warning of or taking steps toward withdrawing support.