Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Demonstrators Reject Military Service Killed by Israeli Bus

Illustration. The demonstration ended in a riot in Paris, France. (Norbu GYACHUNG-Unsplash)

JAKARTA - A massive demonstration by ultra-Orthodox Jews against military service erupted in Jerusalem on Tuesday local time.

The riots occurred after a teenage protester was killed by an Israeli bus that crashed into the crowd of the mass action.

Citing Reuters, Wednesday, January 7, Israel's Magen David Adom emergency service said the 18-year-old victim trapped under the bus was pronounced dead at the scene.

The bus driver has been detained by Israeli police for further investigation.

Video from the scene showed a bus speeding into a crowd of ultra-Orthodox Jewish men at the rally attended by thousands of people.

Reuters has not received a response after trying to confirm the identity of the driver who is currently in Israeli police custody.

Military service rules have become a debate in Israel amid rising political pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the past year.

Students of ultra-Orthodox seminaries have long been exempt from the rule.

However, the exemption has generated sharp criticism by most Israelis who consider it unfair.

The refusal of ultra-Orthodox to join the Israeli military is based on their strong sense of religious identity. Their religious leaders are also concerned that religion will weaken as a result of military service.

Over the past two years, Israel has experienced a spike in the number of soldiers killed in decades due to conflicts related to the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iran.