OCCUPIED AL-QUDS: Police arrested 35 people on Sunday as hardline religious Jews staged the latest in a wave of protests over attempts to force them to do military service like their secular counterparts.
A police statement said those held included people who tried to block traffic in Occupied al-Quds during the protest, while some had "used violence against security forces". A series of such protests in recent months has been spurred by the occasional arrest of young ultra-Orthodox men accused of dodging military service.
Israeli law requires men to serve two years and eight months in the military on reaching the age of 18, while women must serve for two. Ultra-Orthodox men are exempt from military service if they are engaged in religious study, but must still report to the army to receive their exemption. Those who are not exempt must enlist and are subject to arrest by military police if they refuse to do so.