An ultra-Orthodox teenage boy has died after being run over by a bus during a protest in Jerusalem, prompting Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to call for calm. The incident occurred on Tuesday night amidst demonstrations against a proposed law to conscript ultra-Orthodox individuals into the military.
Mr Netanyahu issued a statement early Wednesday, urging "restraint to prevent the mood from becoming further inflamed so that, heaven forbid, we do not have additional tragedies." He also pledged a thorough investigation into the death of yeshiva student Yosef Eisenthal. Footage obtained by The Associated Press reportedly shows a public bus dragging the boy for several metres before running him over, as onlookers reacted in horror.
Police arrested and questioned the bus driver, who informed investigators he had been attacked by protesters prior to the collision, according to an Israeli police spokesperson.
Protesters had been blocking the road and acting violently toward police officers, throwing eggs and other objects at them, the spokesperson said.
The violence reflected growing tensions between the Israeli authorities and the ultra-Orthodox, known as Haredim, as the government mulls plans to draft them into the military.
When Israel was founded in 1948, a small number of gifted ultra-Orthodox scholars were granted exemptions from the draft, which is compulsory for most Jews in the country. But with a push from politically powerful religious parties, those numbers have swelled over the decades.
There is support for rolling back the ultra-Orthodox exemption among many secular Israelis, especially those who have served multiple rounds of duty in the latest war between Israel and the Palestinian militant Hamas group in Gaza.
Measures to draft the ultra-Orthodox have been met with staunch opposition and occasional violence from religious protesters who claim serving in the military will destroy their way of life. The pushback has created a political problem for Netanyahu, who relies on the support of religious parties in the Israeli Parliament.
