Israel's Sick Society Nears Collapse

TEHRAN (Defapress) - A large rally by Orthodox Jews against conscription in Tel Aviv turned violent on Tuesday, killing a teenager when a bus plowed into a crowd.

Israeli police said the bus driver had been arrested and an investigation was underway. Video from the scene showed the bus driving directly into the crowd at a demonstration attended by thousands.

Police have not yet released the driver's identity. However, it is understood that for the first time, a hit-and-run was carried out by a Jewish citizen rather than a Palestinian. Israel's emergency services said the 18-year-old who was trapped under the bus died instantly.

Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews took to the streets yesterday to protest a law that would require them to serve in the military. The Israeli army is facing a shortage of personnel after two years of war on several fronts. Mass demonstrations against the law have been held regularly in recent months.

According to a police statement, the protests turned violent when a small group of rioters began to disrupt public order, including by blocking traffic lanes, damaging buses, setting fire to garbage cans, throwing objects and eggs at police and border guards, and shouting obscenities and attacking journalists at the scene.

“The bus route was blocked by rioters, and the driver stated during questioning that he was attacked by rioters and then the unfortunate incident occurred,” the Israeli police statement said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under pressure from his opponents and some of his coalition partners to increase the size of the military, but leaders of the far-right parties - traditionally Netanyahu's allies - oppose conscription of young rabbis, who make up a large part of their voting base.

Under a law enacted when Israel was founded in 1948, men who devote their full time to studying Jewish religious texts are exempt from conscription. But the exemption has faced growing criticism in recent years from other sectors of Israel's ailing society, especially as tens of thousands of conscripts and reservists have been mobilized on multiple fronts.

Orthodox Jews make up 14 percent of Israel's population, and maintaining their support is crucial to the survival of Netanyahu's right-wing coalition.