‘March of the Million’ fills Jerusalem

Huge crowds of ultra-Orthodox protesters crowded Jerusalem last week to push back against military conscription. Most Israelis are conscripted at age 18, but members of the devout Haredi community have been unofficially exempted since Israel’s founding in 1948. Israel’s Supreme Court ruled last year that this exemption had no legal basis and that the military must also conscript ultra-Orthodox citizens. The military has sent out tens of thousands of draft notices but has refused to go after draft dodgers. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition relies on politicians who have threatened to end the coalition to protect ultra-Orthodox interests. The current controversy reflects the severity of the divisions within Israeli society.