Hundreds of thousands of ultra-orthodox Jews have shut down one of the busiest junctions at the entrance to Jerusalem in protest against moves to force them to serve in the Israeli military.
The predominantly male crowds travelled from across the country to take part in the demonstration as the Netanyahu government mulled how to deal with draft evasion by the conservative religious community.
Last year Israel's Supreme Court ruled the broad exemptions from military service afforded to the Haredi, as they are called in Hebrew, were illegal.
For decades young men could avoid joining the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) if they were considered full-time students at Jewish religious institutions, known as Yeshivas.
Since the ruling the IDF has sent out thousands of call-up notices in a bid to bolster its ranks, prompting widespread demonstrations at draft centres across the country.
Many Haredi argue that their form of national service is to study the Torah, the Jewish sacred text, to protect the religion and identity.
Despite causing major disruption to Jerusalem and beyond, with highways and public transport shut down for hours and schools closing early for the day, the rally appeared mainly peaceful until police started trying to disperse the crowd at nightfall.
However, a female reporter for Israel's Channel 12 was pursued by protesters earlier in the day.
She calmly continued to speaking live on air while walking away from the crowds and having bottles thrown at her.
Hours before the crowds descended on Jerusalem, some of the ultra-orthodox Israelis who have joined the military held a prayer service at the Western Wall in the Old City.
Young men refusing draft orders
The issue has sparked a fierce national debate, with more secular Israelis viewing the demands of the ultra-orthodox community to be exempt from service as unjust, particularly while Israel is at war, which has seen some reservists forced to spend hundreds of days on duty.
The ultra-orthodox community makes up more than 12 per cent of the Israeli population and the IDF said earlier this year there were approximately 80,000 men aged between 18 and 24 eligible for service who had not enlisted.
Figures in the Israeli media suggested the number who had heeded draft notices were a very small proportion of that group.
Some of the Haredi community have also co-opted the yellow flags and ribbons of the Gaza war hostage movement to campaign for draft dodgers who have been sent to military jails, comparing their plight to that of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
One of their figureheads is Ariel Shamai, a yeshiva student who remains in jail after refusing to comply with draft orders.
Yoseff Cohen, 19, is among Mr Shamai's supporters.
"I came here to protest against the state that is abusing the Yeshiva students," he told the ABC.
"Yeshiva students' essence is to study the Torah and protect the state. There are those Zionist leaders who don't understand this.
"I received a call-up notice and I also received an arrest warrant — that means that I can be arrested at any given moment.
"I am 19 years old … I took it and I tore it up."
'We're here to fight'
While the ultra-orthodox influence on the Netanyahu government has grown, as evidenced by the debate over military service, public sentiment towards the growing conservative religious community has soured.
"We are coming to say to the world and to the government: we are not scared of anybody. We're not scared of anyone," Yonatan Akashi told the ABC.
"We're here to share our message and to say we're here to fight.
"We appreciate our brothers and sister in the army, but everyone has their job.
"Everybody needs to do what they want to do, and we are not going to stop."
The Netanyahu coalition, which includes a number of religious parties, has been grappling with demands to restore the exemptions while also managing the broader population's concerns.
Numerous proposals have been put forward to try to coerce ultra-orthodox Israelis to enlist.
They include blocking them from leaving the country during the period they would otherwise be serving in the military, banning them from obtaining driving licenses and limiting subsidies for childcare.
Levy Grossman served as a lieutenant in the IDF before becoming an orthodox Jew and said no one should be forced into the military.
"People have to choose if they would like to go to the army or they have to study Torah," he told the ABC.
"If they decide to study the Torah, the ministry and everybody has to support them and not to try to throw them into jail."
Opposition parties at odds
The day before the massive protest Israeli media reported that a new compromise bill had been drafted in a bid to allay some concerns of the Haredi parties in the Knesset who want exemptions to continue, as well as those of opposition parties demanding the ultra-orthodox join the IDF's ranks.
Some of the Netanyahu government's most fierce opponents have canned the idea, including Opposition Leader Yair Lapid.
On social media he said it was "a disgraceful evasion law that spits in the face of the combat soldiers".
In an example of how bitter the debate has become, Lapid had days earlier floated the idea of stripping voting rights from people who did not enlist in the military.
Another opposition party leader, Benny Gantz said that would be illegal and would not stand up to a challenge in the Supreme Court.
Mr Lapid also said that if the protesters were able to travel to Jerusalem to campaign, they could make the trip to their local draft centre.
'The army desecrates us'
Some of the more conservative factions within the Haredi community argue that there should not even be a Jewish state before the arrival of the Messiah, believing that to support one now is a sin, according to the Torah.
Among the signs displayed at the protest were those decrying that very issue.
"The state of Israel wants to impose on us to serve in the army and the army is our enemy," activist Yudel Hirsch told the ABC.
"We are against its mere existence, and that is why are here to demonstrate to say that we are against serving in the army. "
Moshe Weingarten, 17, shared the concerns about the army.
"According to my religion, the army desecrates us and therefore as a Haredi I cannot serve in the army — that is why I don't care about the call-up order," he said.
"I am not going to the army because there is depravity in the army and it goes against my ideology.
"And as to the war against the state, I protect the state by studying the Torah."
