A tragic incident occurred in Jerusalem on the evening of March 12, 2024, when a bus struck several individuals participating in an anti-conscription demonstration. The Israeli police confirmed that the vehicle ran over protestors on Shamgar Street before continuing to Ohel Yehoshua Street, where it hit a fourth person. The fatality was identified as Yosef Eisenthal, a 14-year-old boy from the city’s Ramot neighborhood.
The incident unfolded during widespread protests against military conscription for Charedi Jews. Demonstrators reportedly set fires, blocked roads, and clashed with police and journalists, creating a chaotic atmosphere. Following the collision, the bus driver was arrested and stated that he had attempted to navigate away from protestors obstructing his path. He is now facing aggravated murder charges and is scheduled to appear in court shortly.
Charedi political leaders expressed outrage over the incident, attributing it to ongoing anti-Orthodox sentiment in Israeli society. Meir Porush, a member of the United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party, commented, “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.” The party’s leader, Yitzhak Goldknopf, extended his condolences to Eisenthal’s family and emphasized that “loss of control and harm to human life cannot be allowed to become the order of the day.”
The response from the Shas party mirrored the sentiments of their coalition partners, describing the event as “horrific.” They demanded an immediate, thorough investigation and emphasized that “the blood of Charedi men is not cheap.”
The protests stem from a long-standing conflict regarding Charedi conscription, intensified after the Israeli Supreme Court invalidated a religious exemption from military service in 2024. In response to the court’s ruling, Shas announced its refusal to support the government’s upcoming state budget unless a satisfactory version of the Charedi draft bill is passed. The current proposal, which only mandates conscription for yeshiva graduates rather than full-time students, is facing significant opposition in the Knesset.
Since the summer of 2023, tensions have escalated, with UTJ withdrawing from the coalition government over disagreements concerning the draft bill. As a result, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu now holds a precarious parliamentary majority of just one member.
Rabbi Dov Lando, a prominent figure within UTJ, criticized the government’s approach towards yeshiva students who refuse conscription, stating, “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.” He urged those involved in the enforcement of these policies to reconsider their actions, framing the issue as a spiritual battle rather than merely a political or legal conflict.
The government’s deadline to pass the draft bill is March 31, 2024. Failure to reach a compromise with Shas could lead to fresh elections, adding further urgency to an already tense situation. As these events unfold, the focus remains on the impact of the protests and the broader implications for Israeli society.
