Police in Jerusalem have been filmed using force against ultra-Orthodox protesters rallying against the arrest of a Haredi man accused of evading mandatory military conscription, a draft they reject on religious grounds and, in some currents, on ideological opposition to the Zionist project itself.​

The Haredim (Haredi in the singular) are ultra-Orthodox Jews who adhere to a strict interpretation of Jewish law and typically seek to separate themselves from mainstream society in order to devote their lives to prayer, study, and meticulous observance. They often limit contact with the outside world to basic economic necessities and unavoidable public interactions, viewing broader integration as a threat to their religious identity.​

Many Haredim hold that Torah study is itself a form of spiritual protection for the Jewish people and therefore oppose military service on religious grounds, arguing that time in uniform would fatally compromise their way of life. Some ultra-Orthodox groups are also anti-Zionist, believing that a sovereign Jewish state should not exist before the coming of the Messiah, though this stance represents one stream within a broader and internally divided community rather than a universal Haredi position.​

Within that spectrum, a fringe but highly visible Haredi sect, Neturei Karta, has become especially notorious for its explicit solidarity with the Palestinian cause, regularly joining pro-Palestine demonstrations and calling for the return of the land to Palestinian control.

Their rabbis can be seen at protests holding signs such as “Judaism condemns the state of Israel and its atrocities” and “State of ‘Israel’ does not represent world Jewry,” and the group has even met leaders of Iran and other regional adversaries to denounce Zionism.