Thousands Rally in Jerusalem Against Netanyahu's Government
Thousands gathered in Jerusalem on Sunday to protest against the administration of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the exemptions from military service granted to ultra-Orthodox Jewish men. The scenes echoed the mass demonstrations seen last year, according to Reuters.
Demonstrators, including those who led the significant protests in 2023, convened outside the Knesset, Israel's parliament, calling for new elections to replace the current government.
The protesters are advocating for a fairer distribution of the burden of mandatory military service among Israeli citizens. The death toll among soldiers has risen to approximately 600 since the Hamas attack on October 7 and the subsequent conflict in Gaza, marking the highest casualty count in recent years.
Israeli news outlet N12 News reported that this is likely the largest protest since the beginning of the war. Haaretz and Ynet websites also confirmed that tens of thousands participated in the demonstration.
The conflict in Gaza has heightened tensions surrounding exemptions for Jewish religious students from military service, adding pressure to Netanyahu's coalition government.
With the March 31 deadline looming for the government to address the longstanding deadlock on this issue, Netanyahu submitted a last-minute request to the Supreme Court for a 30-day extension.
In what seems to be a concession, the Supreme Court extended the deadline until April 30 for government officials to present additional arguments. However, in a preliminary ruling, it also mandated the suspension of state funding for yeshiva students who could potentially be enlisted, starting from Monday.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
