Slow travel and long hours: ultra-Orthodox plan to block Israel's roads
Organizers have emphasized that the goal is to stage a visible but orderly protest against what they describe as a growing crackdown on Torah students
Ultra-Orthodox activists are preparing for a large protest on Wednesday that is expected to cause significant traffic disruptions across Israel as demonstrators rally against the arrests of yeshiva students accused of evading military service.
According to organizers, the protest will consist of car convoys that will depart simultaneously from 19 cities, stretching from Tzfat in the north to Arad in the south.
The protesters plan to drive at a steady speed of about 50 kilometers per hour (31 miles per hour) while remaining in the right lane and to depart from multiple locations within each city in order to spread out convoys and affect several roads at the same time.
Organizers have advised participants to prepare for extended periods on the road by bringing food, water, fuel and religious study materials. Vehicles are expected to display protest signs distributed at assembly points, while participants have also been encouraged to play Psalms and religious songs through sound systems during the demonstration.
The campaign is being promoted under the slogan, "Enough! There is no way without the way of the Torah," and organizers say the protest has received rabbinical backing. Legal assistance and logistical support are also being provided to participants.
According to the organizing committee, the convoys are intended to send a message of support to detained yeshiva students and demonstrate that the wider ultra-Orthodox community stands behind them. Protest leaders argue that the public can no longer remain silent in the face of what they characterize as increasing arrests related to military conscription.