Haredi protests over military draft enforcement are set to intensify on Wednesday, when car convoys are expected to leave dozens of locations across Israel in response to the arrest of yeshiva students who are required to enlist. The initiative is backed by figures identified with Agudat Yisrael, who see it as part of a broader public campaign against enforcing draft laws on the ultra-Orthodox community.
According to the organizers, the convoys will depart at 4:00 p.m. from 19 different starting points, stretching from Safed in the north to Arad in the south, and will travel on major roads. They say thousands of drivers have already committed to taking part. In a statement, the organizing committee demanded the “immediate release of all Torah study detainees,” an end to the arrests, and the cancellation of what it called “edicts against Torah learners and their families.” It also said, “We will not sit quietly while our brothers are behind bars for the offense of studying Torah.”
Planned protest hubs include Bnei Brak, Rehovot, Netanya, Ashdod, Safed, Kiryat Gat, Jerusalem, Beit Lid, Arad, Tiberias and Haifa. The campaign comes amid worsening tensions between the ultra-Orthodox public and law enforcement over draft obligations, alongside a series of arrests of young Haredi men described as draft evaders.
In recent weeks, demonstrations have been held in different parts of the country, and Haredi parties have warned that the arrests could continue. Organizers are calling on the ultra-Orthodox public and their supporters to join what they say is meant to send a sharp message to the government and the security establishment. Security officials argue the arrests are simply enforcement of existing law, as set by government decisions and court rulings. Police and transportation officials are preparing for major traffic congestion on key roads in the afternoon because of the expected number of convoys.
