Haredi protesters — described by journalist Eli Hirshman as Sephardic Haredim opposed to Shas's handling of the conscription issue — blocked the Jerusalem light rail in the Mount Herzl area on Thursday evening. The demonstrators accused Shas chairman Aryeh Deri of inaction, which they say led to the arrest of Haredi draft evaders.
Protesters blocked the Jerusalem light rail near the Mount Herzl station on Thursday evening, the second blockage along the line this week amid an ongoing wave of Haredi demonstrations against military conscription of ultra-Orthodox men.
Channel 12's Haredi affairs correspondent Eli Hirshman reported that the protesters are Sephardic Haredim specifically opposed to Shas leader Aryeh Deri's conduct on the enlistment issue, and accused Deri of failing to prevent the arrest of Haredi draft evaders — a claim the party has not addressed publicly.
The protest follows a similar blockade on Sunday, as The Zioneer reported (21:48 Jerusalem, June 7), and a broader spate of Haredi demonstrations across the country this week: highway blockades and train disruptions on Wednesday (The Zioneer, 19:28, June 11), a confrontation with police in Ashdod overnight Thursday into Friday (June 12), and efforts to block extradition of draft evaders to military police in Jerusalem (June 10).
Available footage shows protesters on the tracks; no police dispersal or arrests were immediately reported at the scene.
4 developments
- DevelopingUltra-Orthodox protesters block Jerusalem light rail over arrests of suspects in judge's home disturbance
- StrongHaredi protesters block highways, halt trains across central Israel
- DevelopingHaredi protesters try to block extradition of draft evaders to military police in Jerusalem
- StrongHaredim block Jerusalem road in protest over draft dodger arrest report
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