Tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews protest military draft in Jerusalem

Tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox men covered downtown Jerusalem in a sea of black Thursday to protest plans to draft them into the military, singing, clapping and holding signs saying they would rather go to jail. Deep divisions in Israeli society over the current draft exemption given to the ultra-Orthodox has emerged as the most serious threat to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. The embattled leader relies on ultra-Orthodox parties to keep his government limping along, but their attempts to pass a law to permanently exempt ultra-Orthodox Israelis from military service could sink his government and spark early elections.