Over 60 Deserters Arrested at Border Crossings En Route to Uman

More than 60 draft dodgers, many of them Haredi men seeking to travel to Uman, Ukraine, for Rosh Hashanah, have been arrested at Israeli border crossings since Sunday. The majority of arrests occurred at Ben Gurion Airport as individuals attempted to leave the country, with additional arrests at the Taba border crossing with Egypt. The IDF has confirmed the arrests of dozens of deserters in recent days but has not released official numbers or a breakdown of those detained.

The military stated that enforcement is ongoing and coordinated with the Population and Immigration Authority, with preparations for apprehending draft evaders adjusted according to situation assessments. The IDF emphasized that individuals obligated to enlist can regularize their status and report for service. Meanwhile, an alert was distributed by the "I Have Appointed Guards" hotline warning Haredi youth at risk of arrest to avoid border crossings, noting that attempts to leave via land borders could also result in detention. The hotline claimed that some who attempted to leave were arrested and sent to military prison, with potential for continued detention through Rosh Hashanah.

This heightened enforcement coincides with increased preparations by military police at border crossings for the annual influx of pilgrims to Uman, where tens of thousands of Breslov Hasidim travel to pray at the tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov. This year, the journey has become a sensitive pressure point for the community due to the crackdown on deserters. Senior rabbis have advised those at risk of arrest not to travel to Ben Gurion Airport or attempt to resolve their status solely for the flight. An unofficial initiative within the community has emerged to hold Rosh Hashanah prayers in military prison if travel is blocked, aiming to exert public and operational pressure on the IDF.

A 50-year-old Breslov Hasid in Uman with five sons told Walla that for many young men, traveling to Uman annually is a deeply ingrained tradition. While some young men are heeding rabbinical advice to stay in Israel, others are determined to make the journey, with one son stating, "I am sacrificing myself for this." He described attempts to exit through various border crossings, including Egypt and Jordan, based on assumptions of less scrutiny, likening the situation to a "cat and mouse game."

The Population and Immigration Authority explained that it processes all individuals flagged as having exit restrictions, without prior knowledge of the order's origin. If the restriction is military, the IDF is alerted and decides on detention. A technological upgrade implemented in Passover allows for the identification of individuals with exit restrictions at the check-in stage, even for online check-ins. A 19-year-old traveler from Poland to Uman noted that the arrests were a major topic of conversation among passengers, estimating that "dozens of young people is not a drop in the ocean" and likely represents most of the deserters who intended to travel.