About 20,000 Gur Hasidim, led by Rabbi Yaakov Aryeh Alter, the head of the largest Hasidic court in Israel, gathered Wednesday evening in Kfar Yona, near Military Prison 10 at Beit Lid, to protest the arrest of ultra-Orthodox draft evaders. Residents said the demonstration did not turn violent, but left behind heavy litter, blocked roads and, according to some, public urination and defecation.
The protest lasted about three hours and ended after orders from rabbis. By Thursday, residents described streets in the Givat Alonim neighborhood covered with plastic bags, trash and foul smells. The municipality cleaned most of the damage overnight, but locals said they have endured repeated protests near the military base for years and that Wednesday’s event was the worst yet.
Dudu Salma, who moved to Kfar Yona in 2019, said he watched the crowd from his balcony. “It was hell,” he said, arguing that the prisoners should be moved elsewhere, possibly south. He said the latest protest was only the peak of years of recurring demonstrations at the site. Other residents said the area had been effectively besieged, with helicopters overhead and the single access road to the neighborhood jammed.
Several residents told Ynet they were warned by the municipality in the afternoon to stay home, and some pulled children out of school early. They described people entering a local synagogue to use the toilets, throwing rubbish into the streets, and urinating on walls, playground equipment and even cars. One resident, Moren Kaplan, said, “There were 20,000 people. Kfar Yona has 23,000 residents. The neighborhood was surrounded.” Another said, “If all those who were here yesterday had enlisted, we would be fine,” calling it “infuriating.”
