Exhibition of ultra-Orthodox military draft cartoons vandalized ahead of Animix Festival

An exhibition of political cartoons addressing the exemption of ultra-Orthodox individuals from military service was vandalized on Monday in Tel Aviv, just before the opening of the Animix International Animation, Cartoon and Comics Festival. The exhibition, titled "The Black Army," features works by prominent Israeli cartoonists and focuses on Haredi opposition to conscription. According to festival organizers, a young man wearing a kippah damaged parts of the exhibit outside the Tel Aviv Cinematheque before fleeing. Festival staff and CEO Tomer Cohen pursued him, but he escaped before police arrived. Animix artistic director Nissim Hezkiyahu stated, "This is the first time in the festival's 26-year history that something like this has happened." He added, "We are sorry that extremists are trying to undermine freedom of expression, but this act will not deter us." The damaged exhibition was repaired and opened as scheduled on Tuesday, running until August 8.