Israeli Military Critic Slams 'End of the Beginning' After Modiin Incident

A military correspondent for the Israeli newspaper Maariv, Avi Ashkenazi, has sharply criticized the Israeli military (IDF) and police following events in Modiin, where authorities allegedly failed to apprehend a religious draft dodger. Ashkenazi described the incident as a sign of a severe management crisis and the state's inability to enforce the conscription law. He contrasted the IDF and Shin Bet's capacity for complex overseas operations with their failure to detain a single draft dodger in a residential building in Modiin, while also criticizing the police's handling of ensuing riots. The journalist argued that additional forces should have been deployed immediately to detain the dodger and those who attacked security personnel. Ashkenazi stated the Modiin incident was predictable and indicative of weakening state institutions and governance. He noted that the IDF arrested approximately 300 draft dodgers in the first ten months of the year, with some surrendering voluntarily, compared to over 700 terrorists eliminated in Gaza and over 3,000 arrested in Judea and Samaria during the same period. The correspondent linked the situation to broader issues including nationalistic crimes, aviation security, the absence of a state commission to investigate the October 7th events, and the heavy burden on reservists. He found it particularly unfair that reservists and regular soldiers serve under significant strain while some draft dodgers receive leniency. Ashkenazi concluded that the Modiin events further demonstrate the state's declining ability to enforce laws and maintain order.