Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Satmar Factions Unite in Manhattan to Protest Israeli Plan to Draft Yeshiva Students

The protest targeted the court-ordered end of Israel’s decades-old draft exemption for ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students.

Overview

  • Thousands filled blocks outside the Israeli Consulate in Manhattan to oppose new conscription plans, with some outlets reporting crowds in the tens of thousands.
  • Rival Satmar rebbes Aharon and Zalman Leib Teitelbaum publicly aligned for the first time in years, and the Central Rabbinical Congress said it helped organize the rally.
  • Organizers urged cancellation of the draft decree and pressed for protections for bnei yeshivos they say are detained in military prisons.
  • Satmar leaders said they scheduled the rally only after the Gaza ceasefire mediated by President Donald Trump, citing a long-held policy against protests during wartime.
  • The demonstration drew sharp criticism from figures such as Dov Hikind, and the Knesset is expected to resume debate on implementing the Supreme Court ruling in the coming weeks.