Two female Israeli soldiers had to be rescued by police after being chased by a crowd of ultra-Orthodox Jewish men.
Footage from the city of Bnei Brak showed the women running through streets strewn with rubbish and overturned bins as police officers formed a protective barrier. More than 20 people were arrested.
Reports suggest the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers were wrongly believed to be trying to deliver army conscription orders. Military service is mandatory for most Jewish Israelis, but ultra‑Orthodox Jews have long been exempt. Moves to reform this have caused outrage among the community.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the incident as "unacceptable".
"This is an extreme minority that does not represent the entire Haredi [ultra-Orthodox] community," Netanyahu said in a post on X.
