Israeli Police Disperse Anti-Draft Protests After Failed Military Raids
Israel Police cleared road blockages in Jerusalem and Bnei Brak following ultra-Orthodox protests against the arrest of yeshiva students for draft evasion.
The Israel Police dispersed hundreds of anti-draft protesters in Jerusalem and near Bnei Brak on Thursday after demonstrations blocked major traffic routes, including Route 4. The unrest was organized by the Jerusalem Faction and the Peleg Yerushalmi organization under the direction of Rabbi Azriel Auerbach, who called for massive mobilizations to protest the imprisonment of Torah learners.
The demonstrations followed a series of military police operations to arrest yeshiva students classified as draft evaders. While arrests were successfully made earlier in the week in Be’er Sheva and Eilat, overnight raids in Dimona and Bat Yam failed on Thursday. In those cities, the Tzeva Shachor emergency notification system alerted activists, who confronted officers and forced the military police to withdraw without making arrests.
In Jerusalem, protesters blocked roads and damaged vehicles before riot-control units cleared the area. Near Bnei Brak, police closed Route 4 in both directions between the Aluf Sadeh and Em HaMoshavot interchanges. Police Commissioner Danny Levy adopted a zero tolerance approach to the blockages, stating that while protest is a right, disturbing public order is not.
The conflict stems from a 2024 High Court of Justice ruling that removed the legal basis for blanket military conscription exemptions for ultra-Orthodox men.
