Ultra-Orthodox Draft Dodgers Protest Sparks Political Firestorm

Thousands of ultra-Orthodox men marched in Jerusalem to protest the imprisonment of draft dodgers, primarily young men who were arrested upon returning from a pilgrimage to Uman, Ukraine, for Rosh Hashanah. Protestors carried signs labeling the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as the "enemy army" and referring to the imprisoned individuals as "hostages," with slogans like "Free the hostages from Prison 10." The demonstration, organized by extremist factions of the Jerusalem Faction and other hardline groups, began in the Geula neighborhood and caused significant traffic disruptions.

Approximately 100 draft dodgers were invited to the event, with about 50 attending. Organizers reportedly distributed hundreds of shekels to each participant. Despite prior coordination with the police, law enforcement was notably absent during the march. The protest and its messaging ignited a fierce backlash from opposition leaders.

National Unity party leader Gadi Eisenkot denounced the march as "Netanyahu's procession of shame," arguing that in Netanyahu's "draft-dodging government," draft dodgers are hailed as heroes. He asserted that a government promoting draft evasion cannot continue to lead Israel and called for immediate elections between a "draft-dodging government" and a "Zionist conscription government."

Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Lieberman criticized the event as a "welcome parade for 'released' draft dodgers," implying they were being celebrated as if they had completed military service. He linked these individuals to Netanyahu's political base, stating, "Without the draft dodgers, Bibi has no government."

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett also commented, framing the issue as central to the upcoming elections. He criticized Aryeh Deri's pledge to allocate billions to the ultra-Orthodox community if elected, vowing to stop such funding, asserting that "whoever does not enlist will not receive a shekel from the state."

The protest occurs against a backdrop of recent police decisions to avoid proactive arrests of ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students, alongside accusations exchanged between the IDF and the Israel Police. The military claims the police delay arrests by requiring advance coordination to prevent disturbances, while the police maintain that arresting draft dodgers is the responsibility of military police, not civilian law enforcement. Arrests are currently only consistently made at Ben Gurion Airport, where no proactive measures are needed.

This Jerusalem demonstration follows a similar event in Bnei Brak earlier in the week, which involved street dancing and attacks on media crews. It was later revealed that the Bnei Brak event served as the secret launch for a new ultra-Orthodox protest party called "Tzeva Shachor" (Black Color), which advocates for a complete exemption from military service for the Haredi sector.