Orthodox Protests Disrupt Israeli Traffic, Disrupting Travel
Translated & summarized from Vesty by baba
Ultra-Orthodox protesters demonstrated across Israel on Thursday, October 8, causing major traffic disruptions and impacting travel to Ben Gurion Airport. The protests, organized by the "Jerusalem Faction," were in response to recent arrests of draft dodgers, with demonstrators citing the "humiliation of the dignity of the Torah." The demonstrations followed an incident where hundreds of protesters prevented the arrest of a military deserter. Reports indicate that the IDF had recently scaled back proactive arrests of deserters, a practice it intended to resume in October.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Ultra-Orthodox protesters caused major traffic disruptions across Israel on Thursday, October 8.
- Demonstrations were a response to the recent arrests of yeshiva students and draft dodgers.
- Protests led to road closures on Highway 4 and disruptions to Jerusalem's light rail.
- The "Jerusalem Faction" movement organized the mass demonstrations.
- The protests followed an incident where hundreds prevented the arrest of a military deserter.
- The IDF had reportedly scaled back proactive arrests of deserters prior to the protests.
Ultra-Orthodox protesters demonstrated across Israel on Thursday, October 8, causing significant traffic disruptions, particularly around Bnei Brak and Jerusalem, and impacting travel to Ben Gurion Airport. The protests were a response to the recent arrests of draft dodgers, with demonstrators targeting yeshiva students and married men studying in kollels. Road closures on Highway 4 near Bnei Brak led to severe congestion, while Jerusalem's light rail system experienced service interruptions. The protests were organized by the "Jerusalem Faction" (Peleg Yerushalmi), a radical ultra-Orthodox movement, which announced mass demonstrations following the arrests. The movement's spiritual leader, Rabbi Azriel Auerbach, called for the protests against what they described as the "humiliation of the dignity of the Torah and those who study it." The demonstrations were expected to be larger than usual, potentially involving hundreds of members of the movement.
The protests followed an incident on the night of October 6, where hundreds of Orthodox individuals "mobilized" to Modiin to prevent the arrest of a deserter, Yairi Lieberman. They reportedly clashed with military police, surrounding officers and eventually negotiating a withdrawal of soldiers if the deserter was not apprehended. Lieberman was subsequently hailed as a hero by the protesters.
An investigation revealed that military police may have delayed the deserter's removal, allowing time for protesters to gather. This incident occurred amidst conflicting reports regarding the IDF's proactive arrest of deserters. While the IDF previously stated that proactive arrests were ongoing, a document prepared for the High Court of Justice indicated that proactive arrests had been largely suspended recently due to a focus on border crossings and holiday preparations. The document noted that 212 deserters and draft dodgers were apprehended in September, with an estimated 163 from the ultra-Orthodox community, and that the army intended to resume active detentions in October. The Interior Ministry reported that any "loopholes" allowing individuals to leave the country despite a ban were being closed.
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