Thousands of bnei Torah — yeshivah bochurim, avreichim, rabbanim and roshei yeshivah — gathered in the streets of Yerushalayim on Thursday to protest the ongoing government efforts to force lomdei Torah into the army. The peaceful protest, held at a major intersection in the capital, was led by the gedolei Torah of the Sefardi tzibbur and ended in a shocking display of violence by police.
The atzeres was held in response to the recent arrest of two yeshivah brothers — talmidim of Yeshivas Meoros HaTorah — and escalating attempts to detain dozens more bochurim from their homes in recent weeks. The protest was both a call to tefillah and an outcry against the gezeira.
Leading the protest were some of the most prominent Sefardi gedolim, including Rosh Yeshivas Porat Yosef Rav Moshe Tzadkah, Rav Yehuda Cohen, Rosh Yeshivas Yakirei Yerushalayim and member of the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah, the mekubal Rav Binyamin Shmueli, Rav Yitzchak Tawil, Rav Meir Bruchah, Rav Yaakov Ades, and many others.
Chaotic scenes unfolded as Border Police officers, some mounted on horses and others wielding batons, stormed the crowd in an effort to break up the demonstration. Video footage shows one officer punching a bochur in the face and knocking his hat to the ground.
Despite the violent crackdown, the protestors did not retreat. With cries of “נעבור ולא נתגייס” — “We will die and not enlist” — the bochurim stood shoulder to shoulder, clutching signs decrying the government’s plan to uproot thousands of lomdei Torah from their batei medrashim.
Three protestors were arrested during the hafgana.
Prior to the violence, Rav Moshe Tzadka addressed the crowd with visible emotion, declaring: “It is forbidden to obey the government in this matter. We go to jail — not to the army!”
He warned that any future legislation must protect all shomrei Torah u’mitzvos — even those not currently in yeshivos. “I turn to you, precious bnei Torah: Don’t fear them, don’t back down. The Torah ha’kedoshah will be victorious!”
Rav Yehuda Cohen said: “The lomdei Torah are the protectors of Am Yisrael. These arrests and persecutions are fueling the hatred against Yidden around the world.”
He added: “Know this — taking bochurim into captivity is what’s delaying the release of the hostages in Gaza.”
The protest comes amid a broader series of demonstrations across Eretz Yisrael as the olam haTorah rises in fierce opposition to the draft decree.
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20 Responses
The Zionist SS Storm Troopers and Gestapo will meet the same fate at their 1930s/40s predecessors.
אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי-הָאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֤ר | לֹ֥א הָלַךְ֮ בַּעֲצַ֪ת רְשָׁ֫עִ֥ים וּבְדֶ֣רֶךְ חַ֭טָּאִים לֹ֥א עָמָ֑ד וּבְמוֹשַׁ֥ב לֵ֝צִ֗ים לֹ֣א יָשָֽׁב:
There is nothing “shocking” about police violence at peaceful hafganos by bnei torah in EY
if you watch carefully it seems the yid who got his hat punched off was reaching for the police officers batton – which im sure wasn’t for no reason, especially the way those evil “police officers” use their battons to hit bochrim peacefully protesting sitting on the floor
kulo k’ushun tichleh ki sa’avir memsheles zadon min ha’aretz
unbelievable that yidden can hit each other like this in Eretz Yisroel of all places
if you have time to protest you have time to fight don’t say you cant be drafted if you are really such big learners shouldn’t you be in yeshiva or kolel learning t= and praying that the boys get out instead of sitting and protesting and instigating the police. i believe they do it because stupid people keep protesting on the street. if you want u go to the government quietly you don’t make a chilulul hashem, so don’t think that you are so great you are as bad as the police in a different way and even if the rabanim say you should. do you go to the big ones to ask like the ones who go visiting the boys chizuk. i think everyone by protested should be rounded up they deserve it
i read again why did the rabanim think it would be a peaceful protest has there ever been a peaceful protest. why dont they get a clue and instead of protest learn and dont let the boys out of yeshiva and let the people who know how to talk to the government try quietly cuz honestly protests just make it worse
The behavior of the police is disgusting and despicable!!! I do not think it is right to block roads for any cause, but to use batons to beat yeshiva bachurim like that???????!!!!
They never use batons against any of the many protests in Tel Aviv nor against the mizrachi when they blocked roads for their own causes! Only when it is the chareidim!!!
It is perverted and disgusting!!!
I really hope those police are charged for their violence and put in jail!!!
I dont see anybody learning toira in your photos. Please change your headline to
“Police clash with leidegeyers”
Beat the cops up.
the rhetoric is a bit much! these brave “bochers” are willing to fight the israeli police and the idf, knowing that they’ll be safe and nothing bad will happen to them, to protect their “entitlement”.
IF torah learning protects against all dangers then why they protesting all day. Just keep learning and torah learners will be protected by there learning and will not need to serve. The fact that they are physically protesting shows that they don’t really believe Torah learning really protects.
This fight has been going on since 1948. Issues like the yeminite kids being dragged away to pork eating kibbutzim. Force autopsies on anyone dying. Digging of ancient graves. Public violations of shabbos. Toeiva parades. Etc etc.
Be strong boys! Don’t give in to to out traitor brothers calling gedolim bad names and siding with the enemy! They will regret it for millennia
Zalmy, there is nothing shocking about chareidim fighting. Plenty of well known yeshivos and chassidim who fight amongst themselves to the point that someone calls in the cops. They should stay in beis medrash and learn. That is their and our zechus. Public displays of thuggery shutting down the roads is not hishtadlus, it is a strong arm tactic to twist the arm of government – also not something unheard of in the chareidi camp.
so die instead of enlisting if that’s what you want. you will probably die if you protest anyway cuz will get killed by police which you deserve. if you start up with them for no reason cuz u think you are so great cuz u learn so go learn dont go to protests and dont block roads and yell nazis or do anything to instigate them cuz they do in defense then
Tremendous kiruv opportunity. If every bochur who goes to jail or the army teaches one non-observant Jew the beauty of Torah and mitzvos, it would a revolution in kiruv rechokim.
ujm says:
August 7, 2025 2:44 pm at 2:44 pm
The Zionist SS Storm Troopers and Gestapo will meet the same fate at their 1930s/40s predecessors.
Whatever your views on this protest, to protest or to sit and learn for the benefit of the soldiers and hostages (yes, they are also yidden) you cannot allow a post with the language of the above post. The Mishtara are also yidden and that must be remembered at all times whether you like it or not.
to all those heretic commentators above: עת לעשות לה’ – Gedolim, Rabbonim and Roshei Yeshivas have called the protest; yes sometimes you have to leave the Beis Hamedrash, whether it’s for your health, family, Kovod Hames and in this case THE VERY SUVIVAL OF THE TORAH WORLD! – THESE ARE NOT LEIDIGEIERS, THEY ARE PEOPLE WHO FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THE GEDOLIM
SO DIE. IT IS BETTER THAT WAY. EVERYONE DIES ANYWAY
hendoner:
Would you say the same about a hypothetical apostate missionary who is targeting Jews in London? Moshe Rabbeinu saw one Jew about to hit – not even having already hit, but just about to hit – another Jew, and the Torah records that Moshe Rabbeinu said to the rasha. Yet you defend these enforcers of shmad who, as it happens, very possibly might not even be halachically Jewish. And even if they are Jews, any Jew who is a heretic loses the rights and privileges of a Jew. So, it’s not at all simple to claim as you do.