Israel | The ultra-Orthodox protested against the historic vocations in Jerusalem

Thousands ultra-orthodox Jews protested and rioted in Jerusalem on Sunday against historical calls, reports the online magazine The Times of Israel.

The demonstration began peacefully in a neighborhood in Jerusalem favored by ultra-orthodox Jews, but it progressed towards the center of Jerusalem and became violent, says news agency AP. According to AP, even tens of thousands participated in the demonstration.

Demonstrators, among other things, threw stones at the Minister of Construction by Yitzhak Goldknopf towards the car and set trash cans on fire. According to the police, two people were arrested on suspicion of violently resisting the authorities and three on suspicion of throwing stones and other objects.

The police tried to disperse the crowd with, among other things, water cannons filled with foul-smelling water.

According to the police, several police officers were injured in the demonstration, reports The Times of Israel.

Picket protested last week’s historic ruling by Israel’s Supreme Court that ultra-Orthodox Jewish men must now serve in the army.

In Israel, military service is compulsory and applies to all genders. However, older ultra-Orthodox or Haredi Jews have historically been exempted from military service under a special agreement that expired last summer.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews follow a strict interpretation of Judaism. Their share of Israel’s population of ten million is about 13 percent. According to the court, there are approximately 63,000 young Orthodox Jewish men exempted from military service.

Israel’s Minister of Justice Gil Limon instructed the Israeli armed forces last Tuesday to “immediately” call up 3,000 students from Orthodox Jewish yeshiva schools for military service starting July 1.