Dramatic Rescue of Israeli Soldiers from Ultra-Orthodox Mob in Bnei Brak
This is the dramatic moment two Israeli female soldiers were rescued after being chased by a mob of approximately 1,000 ultra-Orthodox men in the Charedi city of Bnei Brak, located east of Tel Aviv. Footage from the incident on Sunday afternoon captured a handful of police officers shielding the two women as they fled through streets littered with rubbish and overturned bins.
Violent Unrest and Police Response
More than 20 people were arrested after rioters overturned a patrol car and set fire to a police motorcycle. The unrest continued even after the women were rescued, with the crowd pelting law enforcement with stones and burning bins. Large police forces, including riot officers, were deployed to the scene and used stun grenades to quell the chaos. Three officers were injured during the commotion.
The female soldiers, who are squad commanders in the Education and Youth Corps, had been on an official home visit to one of the troops in their unit when they were confronted. Reports indicate they were mistaken for military police attempting to deliver army conscription orders. The soldiers were forced to hide behind bins as police ran to the scene on foot.
National Condemnation and Political Fallout
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack as "completely unacceptable", adding that the perpetrators were an "extreme minority that does not represent the entire Charedi community". In a post on X, he stated, "We will not allow anarchy, and we will not tolerate any harm to IDF servicemen and security forces who carry out their duties with dedication and determination."
IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir also condemned the incident, referencing the "intolerable reality" in which the attack took place. He told the female soldiers, "A reality in which IDF soldiers, men and women, cannot move freely within the State of Israel is an intolerable reality that must be addressed. We will not accept harm to our soldiers, and I expect that the law will be fully enforced against those who harmed you."
Background on Military Conscription Tensions
Since Israel's founding in 1948, military service has been compulsory for almost all Israeli Jews, except the ultra-Orthodox. They instead dedicate themselves to religious study and receive heavy state subsidies to finance an independent education system focused on the Torah rather than science. The war in Gaza, which led to elongated reserve duty and the deaths of hundreds of soldiers, has spurred calls from the secular mainstream to reform the system, causing uproar within the ultra-Orthodox community.
In 1998, Israel's High Court of Justice ruled that the defence minister had no right to exempt the Charedim from conscription and called on the government to find ways to draft them. Temporary arrangements for blanket exemption were formally ended by the court last year, forcing the government to begin conscripting members of the community. The Israeli government is now debating draft legislation that would require ultra-Orthodox men not in full-time religious study to serve in the army.
Community Reactions and Wider Implications
Ultra-Orthodox leaders have condemned the events, warning that the incident might harm the community's anti-conscription attempts. Yitzhak Goldknopf, chairman of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party, said he was shocked by the videos and stated the violence was "contrary to the Torah". His Sephardic counterpart, Shas head Aryeh Deri, said the riot would "harm the entire Charedi public, cause a desecration of God’s name, and inflict heavy damage on the righteous struggle for the Torah world".
One of the female soldiers told the Walla news outlet that she had asked her commanders not to send them into Bnei Brak but was given no choice. The motorcycle set on fire by the crowd contained a tefillin and a prayer book in its luggage box—ritual items burned to a crisp in the attack.
Historical Context and Future Projections
In October last year, hundreds of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Israelis took part in a "march of the million" in Jerusalem against changes to the law exempting them from military service. In March 2024, following High Court orders to withhold state funds for yeshivahs whose students dodge conscription, Israeli rabbis went to the US to raise $100 million in private funding.
In January 2025, the first 50 members of the IDF’s new Hasmonean Brigade for ultra-Orthodox troops were drafted. A year later, the brigade declared its first battalion operational after a recent drill in the Golan Heights. Despite opposition from leading Charedi rabbis, the brigade aims to prove that military service can coexist with ultra-Orthodox observance.
Over the past seven decades, the Charedi community has more than doubled its share of Israel's population and now accounts for 14 percent. By 2050, almost one in four Israelis will be a member of the ultra-Orthodox community, according to a new report by the Israel Democracy Institute.
