Ultra-Orthodox Protesters Clash With Police Over Draft Dodger Arrest

Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox protesters gathered outside the home of a draft dodger in Modi'in late Tuesday night to protest his arrest, with some activists attempting to break into his residential building. Clashes erupted between the protesters and police officers who arrived at the scene. "Numerous forces are operating in the area to extract soldiers," the police stated. The incident follows a recent event where Rabbi Israel Landa, the head of the mainstream Lithuanian-Haredi yeshiva "Heichal Yitzhak," was filmed tearing up a conscription order during Simchat Beit HaShoeva celebrations in front of hundreds of his students. This yeshiva is considered relatively moderate in its views, and the incident is seen as another example of growing extremism within the ultra-Orthodox community regarding military conscription. Despite the community's opposition to conscription and the state's efforts to draft ultra-Orthodox men, the yeshiva received over 3 million shekels in direct state funding in 2024. Last week, a "Welcome Home for Released Draft Dodgers" procession took place in Jerusalem, organized in cooperation with the Jerusalem Faction and zealots from the Edah HaChareidis. At the event, it was promised that dozens of released draft dodgers would receive a significant cash prize.