"We prefer to die": Ultra Orthodox Jews scuffle with Israeli police over possible conscription

Israeli police forcefully dispersed Ultra Orthodox Jews protests trying to block roads in Jerusalem on Monday, shortly after the top Israeli court heard challenges to exemptions granted to Ultra Orthodox Jews from military conscription.

One protester declared that he would rather die than join the army, a stance that highlights a long-standing source of friction with more secular citizens now stoked by the country's costly mobilization in the Gaza war.

In the name of equality, the Supreme Court in 2018 voided a law waiving the draft for Ultra Orthodox men. Parliament failed to come up with a new arrangement, and a government-issued stay on mandatory conscription of Ultra Orthodox expires next month.

The Ultra Orthodox claim the right to study in seminaries instead of serving in uniform for the standard three years. Some say their pious lifestyles would clash with military mores, while others voice ideological opposition to the liberal state.

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