Thirteen police officers were lightly injured on Thursday after a routine parking enforcement operation on Jerusalem’s Hanna Street escalated into violent riots in which a car was flipped, involving members of the ultra-Orthodox community.
The unrest began when officers issued a parking ticket. During the encounter, several young haredi men were reportedly identified as having evaded the draft.
Police attempted to detain them and hand them over to the Military Police, prompting a swift and violent response from bystanders. Rioters hurled stones, overturned a car, vandalized a police vehicle and property, and threw trash cans at officers.
The police said four individuals were arrested on suspicion of participating in the violence.
Reinforcements from the police and Border Police units were summoned to the scene, but they too were attacked. The Jerusalem District police authorized the use of stun grenades to disperse the rioting crowd. Footage from the scene showed officers struggling to extract a vehicle surrounded by a mob.
Haredi youth flip car in Jerusalem after riots break out
"I view the attack on the officers and inspectors by lawless rioters, who did not spare any means [to harm the officers], with severity. We will hold them accountable," Police Insp.-Gen. Kobi Shabtai said.
In a statement, the Israel Police said crowd-control operations were ongoing and warned of legal consequences.
"Any breach of order, especially one that endangers public or police safety, will be met with a swift, determined, and uncompromising response, including launching investigations and prosecuting those responsible," National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said. "I strongly condemn the riots by extremists in Jerusalem. Attacking police officers by citizens who are lawbreakers is a red line. I strengthen and back the officers of the Israel Police, who work day and night with dedication and determination to maintain the security of Israeli citizens and public order."
Opposition leader Yair Lapid called the clashes “riots by draft dodgers” and blamed the government for what he described as an institutional collapse.
"This is an unbelievable failure of the government and the disintegration of all state institutions," Lapid said. "It cannot be that haredi draft dodgers can prevent arrest this way just because they use violence. The defense minister and the prime minister continue to encourage a phenomenon of draft evasion and refusal on a historic scale."
MK Gilad Kariv said that the riots were something the police must resolve officially.
"Where are all the coalition members who rushed to condemn every single provocative sign at the mass protest on Kaplan Street?" he wrote in a statement.
"Make no mistake: this violent handful, who resort to violence every time the police arrive to arrest a draft dodger, is being emboldened directly by a government that is advancing a disgraceful draft evasion bill."