Ex-general called ‘traitor’ as Haredi demonstrators riot at event for ultra-Orthodox draftees

Dozens of ultra-Orthodox protesters rioted outside a Jerusalem conference on IDF enlistment tracks for Haredim, blocking a taxi, spitting, and shouting. They chased media adviser Rafi Perlstein, called police 'Nazis' and 'murderers,' and accosted Brig. Gen. Ofer Winter, calling him a 'traitor to the Jewish nation.' No arrests were reported, though footage showed detentions. The protest reflects ongoing tensions over conscription exemptions, with 72,000 Haredi men eligible but not enlisted.

Dozens of ultra-Orthodox protesters rioted outside a conference in central Jerusalem on Tuesday about special IDF enlistment tracks for Haredim, the latest violent demonstration against mandatory conscription. Demonstrators blocked a taxi carrying organizers, kicking, shouting, and spitting at them. They chased media adviser Rafi Perlstein, who supports enlistment efforts, and police protecting him were called 'Nazis' and 'murderers.' Perlstein said assailants snatched his kippa and tried to steal his laptop; the driver's son, who has special needs, was in the taxi, and demonstrators offered to pay the driver to eject him but were rebuffed. Perlstein wrote on X: 'You can argue or protest but whoever raises a hand, spits, vandalizes property and terrorizes a helpless child isn't defending the Torah or honoring God.' Brig. Gen. Ofer Winter, who presented at the event, was surrounded and called a 'traitor to the Jewish nation.' He said the Jerusalem Faction 'won't deter me' and recommended the Military Police enlist those who chased him. Yoaz Hendel of the Reservists party condemned the violence as 'a disgrace.' Some 72,000 Haredi men aged 18-24 are eligible but not enlisted. The Knesset recently passed a Basic Law declaring Torah study a 'foundational value' and granted draft evaders immunity until January 2027, which the High Court froze.