
Tens of Thousands Rally in Jerusalem Against IDF Draft Plans
A massive ultra-Orthodox prayer rally in Jerusalem on Thursday, October 30, 2025, drew an extraordinary crowd that filled major arteries at the city’s entrance, disrupting traffic and public transit for hours. The demonstration—organized in opposition to proposed changes to conscription policy—brought together a wide spectrum of Haredi streams, whose leaders framed the gathering as a defense of Torah study and communal autonomy.
Participants prayed, recited Psalms, and listened to rabbinic addresses calling for unity within their communities and restraint in the face of confrontation. Organizers emphasized the event’s character as a spiritual assembly rather than a partisan protest, even as speakers criticized legislative and judicial moves they said would upend longstanding understandings on deferments.
City authorities deployed significant police and emergency resources to manage road closures and ensure medical support. While the demonstration concluded without widespread violence, it underscored the political and social tensions surrounding conscription debates—issues likely to return to the Knesset in the coming weeks.
(TOI/VFI News)