A frightened policeman fires a live round as a warning shot. Young men cowed by baton-wielding officers, drenched in foul smelling chemicals from water cannon, scream abuse. Ultra-Orthodox Jews clashing with Israeli authorities has become an almost daily routine.

At the immediate heart of the tensions is the refusal of some elements within the community to observe tough lockdown regulations that ban gatherings of more than five people inside and 10 outdoors.