Over 300,000 ultra-Orthodox Jews gathered in Jerusalem for "The Million Assembly" — a direct response to government pressure to draft yeshiva students following the Supreme Court's 2024 ruling ending military exemptions. Route 1 was closed, neighborhoods blockaded, loudspeakers filling the streets with prayer.
The gathering reflects a deepening fracture in Israeli society. While most Israelis serve in the military — many deployed for months since October 7 — the ultra-Orthodox remain largely exempt, creating intense resentment among families who have lost soldiers in combat. For the ultra-Orthodox, conscription threatens their way of life: yeshiva study is central to their identity, and military service risks exposure to secular society and the erosion of community cohesion.
A sea of black and white. No middle ground.
