For the second consecutive day, hundreds of kanoyim staged protests against Charedi enlistment, escalating their demonstrations in Yerushalayim and near the IDF recruitment office in Tel HaShomer. On Tuesday, protesters blocked Shazar Boulevard outside the International Convention Center in Yerushalayim, where an event honoring Charedi soldiers was taking place. Chanting slogans and distributing flyers, the demonstrators denounced enlistment as an existential threat to the Charedi way of life. Some flyers labeled Shas party leader Aryeh Deri a “murderer of neshamos” for his role in discussions on a new draft law aimed at regulating the status of yeshiva bochurim. Meanwhile, earlier Tuesday morning, protests erupted near the IDF’s Tel HaShomer recruitment center. Demonstrators attempted to block young Charedi men from entering the base, with some lying in the streets to disrupt traffic. Police officers declared the protest illegal and worked to disperse the crowd, arresting one individual for assaulting police officers. Roads in the area, including Yaakov Dori Street, were closed to traffic. The protests follow the High Court’s invalidation of the long-standing draft exemption for yeshiva bochurim, prompting the government to draft new legislation. While Charedi parties aim to preserve limud torah as much as possible, many view any compromise as unacceptable. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)