Hundreds Honor Draft Dodgers in Bnei Brak; Media Attacked

Hundreds of people gathered in Bnei Brak on Sunday evening to honor 160 draft dodgers, referred to as "Torah prisoners," who were arrested and subsequently released from military prison. The majority of those detained were apprehended while attempting to leave Israel for Uman, Ukraine, ahead of Rosh Hashanah, or upon their return to Israel. The event, organized by the "Black Flag" party, featured a stage with an orchestra and aimed to highlight the issue of yeshiva students' conscription and criticize the handling of the matter by Haredi parties.

During the procession, confrontations occurred with media crews. Reporters from Kan 11, Keshet, and Reshet 13 news outlets were reportedly attacked by groups of protesters, leading to the departure of the Reshet 13 and Kan 11 teams. The arrests of draft dodgers have primarily taken place at Ben Gurion Airport and border crossings, rather than through proactive enforcement operations.

Political figures commented on the event. Naftali Bennett, chairman of the "Bayit Yehudi" party, stated that if elected, he would stop the practice of transferring public funds to those who evade military service, asserting that "whoever does not enlist will not receive a shekel from the state." Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of Yisrael Beiteinu, remarked that Prime Minister Netanyahu's government relies on Haredi support and suggested that the draft dodgers' procession would soon be replaced by military training.

The underlying issue is the enforcement of mandatory military service for the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) community. The IDF has previously cited a lack of cooperation from the police as a reason for halting proactive enforcement. In response, the Israel Police stated that the matter falls under the responsibility of the Military Police.