A tragic incident unfolded on the evening of March 12, 2024, when a bus struck several pedestrians during an anti-conscription protest in Jerusalem, resulting in the death of a Charedi teenager. According to Israeli police, the bus initially hit three individuals on Shamgar Street before proceeding to Ohel Yehoshua Street, where it struck a fourth person. The deceased, identified by Hebrew media as Yosef Eisenthal, was just 14 years old and hailed from the Ramot neighborhood of the city.
The incident occurred amidst large-scale protests against military conscription, which have intensified following the Israeli Supreme Court’s decision to nullify a long-standing religious exemption from service. Demonstrators reportedly set fires, blocked roads, and clashed with journalists during these protests. In response to the incident, the bus driver was arrested and stated that he had been attempting to evade protestors obstructing his path. He is expected to appear in court later today on charges of aggravated murder.
Charedi political leaders expressed outrage over the events, attributing the tragedy to a climate of anti-Orthodox sentiment. Meir Porush, a member of the United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party, remarked, “It is impossible to ignore the fact that more than once during demonstrations by the strictly-Orthodox public, there is a public atmosphere that it is permissible to harm the demonstrators.” He emphasized the fear that many within the ultra-Orthodox community feel regarding their safety.
UTJ leader Yitzhak Goldknopf extended condolences to Eisenthal’s family and called for justice, stating, “Loss of control and harm to human life cannot be allowed to become the order of the day.” Meanwhile, the Shas party condemned the “horrific” scene, urging for a thorough investigation into the incident and demanding accountability for those responsible. “The blood of Charedi men is not cheap,” they declared.
Protests against military conscription have been ongoing in Israel, particularly since the Supreme Court’s ruling in 2024 that overturned the exemption for Charedi individuals. This decision has sparked a significant backlash within the community, which has traditionally resisted military service. In response to the ongoing turmoil, Shas has announced that it will not support the government’s upcoming state budget unless a satisfactory version of the Charedi draft bill is passed.
Currently, a revised draft bill is being discussed in the Knesset Defence Committee, which would mandate conscription for yeshiva graduates but not for full-time students, and includes reduced penalties for draft dodgers. The UTJ previously withdrew from the coalition over disagreements related to this legislation, leaving Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu with a precarious majority of just one member of the Knesset.
In light of the recent tragedy, Rabbi Dov Lando, a prominent figure in the UTJ, criticized the detention of yeshiva students refusing conscription orders. He stated, “When a yeshiva student is placed in prison solely because he wishes to study Torah, it is not he who is in prison! The Torah itself, God forbid, is in prison.”
Unless a compromise is reached with Shas, the government faces a significant challenge in passing the draft bill before the March 31 budget deadline, risking the possibility of new elections. As the situation evolves, many within the Charedi community are calling for calm and understanding, hoping to navigate the complexities of religious and national identity in Israel.
