Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men blocked a highway in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, to protest against conscription in the Israeli army, with police arresting some of them. ⁣ ⁣ Under a ruling established at the time of Israel's creation in 1948, men who devote themselves full-time to studying sacred Jewish texts are given a de facto pass from mandatory military service. ⁣ ⁣ But this exemption has come under threat as tens of thousands of Israeli conscripts and reservists have been mobilized on several fronts. ⁣ ⁣ In June 2024, Israel’s supreme court ruled that the state must draft ultra-Orthodox men, declaring their exemption had expired.⁣ ⁣ #israel #idf #conscription