Netanyahu Condemns IDF Arrests of Haredi Draft Evaders

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) detained between 40 and 50 Chabad Hassidic students at Ben Gurion Airport on Tuesday morning. The students, returning from religious study in Brooklyn, New York, were suspected of military draft evasion. Detainees were transported to the Tel Hashomer recruitment center, where they were offered immediate enlistment to avoid trial for desertion.

Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the arrests as "not acceptable" and an "intentional attempt to harm the process of enlisting haredim without coercion." He expressed a desire to pass a conscription law in the next term to redistribute the military burden while preserving the "Torah world." These statements come amid a heated election race, with Netanyahu also confirming his intention to run and rejecting plea bargains in his criminal cases.

The arrests occur as the IDF intensifies enforcement against approximately 64,000 Haredi men now classified as deserters following a Supreme Court ruling two years ago. Military legal officials are expanding the use of criminal prosecutions, which carry prison sentences of three to six months, and are considering shortening the threshold for criminal referral from 540 days to 365 days.

Political opponents have reacted sharply to the Prime Minister's stance. Naftali Bennett accused Netanyahu of trading draft exemptions for political power, while Gadi Eisenkot vowed to oppose any law that grants exemptions to Haredi parties to secure a government coalition.