IDF Admits Halting Draft Evasion Arrests, Cites Holiday Period and Border Focus

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has acknowledged that it intentionally refrained from actively apprehending draft evaders in recent times, a policy that lasted for an unspecified period but is slated to resume in October. The military attributed this pause to a "concentration of efforts on border crossings" and "adjustments to operations during the holiday period." This admission comes just two weeks after the IDF's press service had strongly denied reports of such a cessation of arrests to the publication Ynet.

The acknowledgment was made following a meeting with the government's legal advisor concerning the implementation of Supreme Court rulings on conscription. A document submitted to the court stated that "IDF representatives indicated that recently, due to the concentration of efforts on border crossings and adjustments to operations during the holiday period, proactive enforcement measures were generally not carried out, and arrests were not made." This directly contradicts the IDF's earlier response to media inquiries, which claimed that reports of halted arrests were "not true" and asserted that the military police were conducting enforcement operations.

Deputy Legal Advisor Gil Limon sharply criticized the IDF's inaction, emphasizing that the prolonged absence of targeted measures against draft evaders contradicts Israel's security needs, especially given the IDF's own stated shortage of soldiers. Limon argued that this practice also violates the principle of equality and breaches the state's commitments to the Supreme Court, particularly regarding the annulment of a law that had previously exempted yeshiva students from arrest.

According to the document presented to the court, 212 draft evaders were apprehended at border crossings in September 2026, with an estimated 163 being Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) individuals. Of these, 188 were detained at Ben Gurion Airport, with 64 only being caught upon their return to Israel. This suggests loopholes exist that allow draft evaders to leave the country illegally, though the Population and Immigration Authority reported that identified loopholes have since been closed.

Limon urged the immediate resumption of draft evader arrests, stating that the military police must restart proactive enforcement in coordination with the Israel Police. He also highlighted that a joint procedure for handling draft evaders found during random checks, which involves a 30-minute police detention pending military police arrival, remains in effect. However, the IDF reported that such checks have resulted in only isolated arrests over the past two months.

The events of October 5-6 in Modi'in illustrate the challenges in apprehending Haredi draft evaders. On the night of October 6, military police attempted to arrest a yeshiva student in Modi'in. Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox individuals gathered in response to a call from the "Tzeva Shahor" center, which opposes the detention of draft evaders. They clashed with police and successfully prevented the arrest. The civilian police, who arrived to restore order, eventually retreated. Reports indicate that the ultra-Orthodox community agreed not to harm police officers in exchange for the unhindered departure of the police and the non-arrest of the draft evader, who was subsequently celebrated by the crowd.