IDF Arrests Draft Dodger Driving Stolen Car, Sparks Clashes on Road to Jerusalem

On August 28, 2026, Israeli Border Police arrested a yeshiva student in his twenties from Ashdod at the Ofar checkpoint on Highway 443 near Jerusalem. The man was suspected of driving a stolen vehicle. Following the arrest, dozens of ultra-Orthodox protesters gathered at the scene, blocking the highway and causing disturbances. Security forces, including Border Police and regular police, are currently working to restore order and reopen the road while investigating the vehicle theft at the Modi'in Illit police station.

The suspect attempted to pass through the Ofar checkpoint driving the stolen car, which was confirmed by officers on site before his detention. The protests by the ultra-Orthodox community escalated quickly after the arrest, leading to significant traffic disruptions on the main route to Jerusalem.

This incident follows recent tensions related to the draft of ultra-Orthodox men into the Israeli military. Earlier that week, protests resumed on Highway 4 near Bnei Brak after a brief lull, triggered by the arrest of Israel Gochfi, a yeshiva student who refused to enlist. The Israeli police warned that Highway 4 between Aluf Sadeh and Em HaMoshavot could be closed in both directions, with possible traffic jams and blockades on Jabotinsky Road in Bnei Brak as well.