Jerusalem Faction to Protest at Secret Locations, Disrupting Traffic

The Jerusalem Faction, a prominent ultra-Orthodox group, is planning protests across Israel on Thursday to demonstrate against the arrest of Torah students, including two specific yeshiva students. Security forces and the police are preparing for significant traffic disruptions during peak hours, particularly on Highways 1 and 4, which could impact travel in the Gush Dan and Jerusalem areas. The group has not yet revealed the exact protest locations, but potential sites include the Chords Bridge entrance to Jerusalem and Highway 4 near the entrance to Bnei Brak, though these may change. The protests follow the recent arrests of two yeshiva students in Beer Sheva and Eilat. In Eilat, a draft dodger was initially stopped by police and later transferred to the IDF after it was discovered he was wanted by military authorities. Rabbi Azriel Auerbach has unusually called for escalating the protests, urging his faction's members to join. The Committee for the Salvation of the Torah World stated the protests are a response to the arrest of yeshiva students and kollel members by military authorities for the "offense of studying Torah and their abandonment by the ultra-Orthodox establishment." Protests are estimated to last two to three hours and cause severe traffic jams. Additional protest sites may emerge nationwide. Police and traffic authorities are bracing for potential blockades on major routes and advise the public to anticipate significant delays. Earlier in the week, military police attempting to arrest a draft dodger in Modi'in were surrounded by hundreds of protesters, forcing them to leave without making an arrest. In Bat Yam, a similar attempt to arrest a draft dodger at his home was met with protesters, who were subsequently dispersed by police.