Thousands of Gur Hasidim gathered on Wednesday for an unusual protest outside Prison 10 at the Beit Lid camp, protesting the arrest of ultra-Orthodox young men classified as draft evaders. Organizers estimated that about 8,000 people had already arrived, making it one of the largest and most unusual demonstrations the Hasidic leadership has staged in recent years.
The rally was marked by very heavy crowding and pushing near the prison entrance. Speakers on loudspeakers repeatedly urged participants to spread out across a wider area because of concerns that the pressure would worsen before the expected arrival of the Gur Rebbe. Video from the scene showed thousands of worshippers packed tightly around the detention facility.
According to Gur sources, the protest was triggered by the arrest of a young man from the Hasidic community who had come to regularize his military status but was detained and sent to Prison 10. Following that incident, the movement’s leadership decided to mount a public demonstration, a rare step for Gur, which usually avoids mass protests and open confrontation.
Gur is considered the largest Hasidic group in Israel, with an estimated 100,000 followers in Israel and abroad. The Hasidic movement brought in thousands of participants from across the country for the rally, while more extreme factions in the Jerusalem wing also said they planned protests and road blockages over the issue of draft evader arrests.
