Six Haredi Draft Dodgers Caught Trying to Flee Israel

Six Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) men attempting to evade military conscription were apprehended by security teams at Ben Gurion Airport on Tuesday. Two were stopped at Terminal 1 and four others at Terminal 3. The individuals were transferred to the Population and Immigration Authority, which confirmed they were subject to outstanding military draft orders and civil travel bans.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett addressed the issue of Haredi conscription recently, stating that solutions must begin at a young age and involve oversight of curricula. "In the next government, there will be a simple rule: if you are not Zionist, you are not on my dime," Bennett declared. He emphasized that addressing conscription requires first addressing education, and that the mentality of "we will die rather than enlist" must be stopped at age six to prevent evasion at eighteen.

Bennett further criticized the Haredi education system, noting that one in four first-graders enters an institution that does not teach basic subjects like math and English. Instead, he claimed, these schools teach that Zionism is bad, earning a living is for second-class citizens, and that dying is preferable to enlisting.

Last month, a discussion on enforcing military service revealed that approximately 80% of draft dodgers in Israel are from the Haredi community. The Attorney General's office stated that issuing draft orders to all Haredi conscripts, increased enforcement, and tailored service tracks have proven effective in raising enlistment numbers. However, to further reduce evasion and meet the army's urgent need for growth, the office recommended expanding personal economic enforcement measures and resuming proactive operations and arrests against draft dodgers from all sectors of the population, based on the principle of equality.