IDF Ultra-Orthodox Draft Evasion Arrest Operation Canceled Amid Police Concerns
Translated & summarized from Behadrei Haredim by baba
The IDF has canceled a planned operation to arrest ultra-Orthodox draft dodgers next week following objections from the Israel Police. Police feared the arrests would trigger protests that could disrupt election day. The IDF confirmed the postponement, citing the need for police cooperation. Meanwhile, the state must update the High Court on its efforts to apprehend draft dodgers, with conflicting data emerging on recent arrests.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- IDF operation to arrest ultra-Orthodox draft dodgers canceled due to police concerns.
- Police feared protests would disrupt election day activities.
- IDF confirmed postponement, citing need for police cooperation.
- State must inform High Court on draft dodger apprehension measures.
- Conflicting data presented on recent arrests of draft dodgers.
An Israeli military operation planned for next week to arrest ultra-Orthodox draft dodgers has been canceled due to opposition from the police. The police feared that the arrests would ignite widespread protests within the ultra-Orthodox community, potentially disrupting election day activities. The operation was slated to take place between Sunday and Tuesday of the upcoming week.
According to a report by Daniel Grobweis on Kan News, senior police officials refused to allocate the Tel Aviv district for securing the operation. This refusal led to the decision to postpone the arrests. Police expressed concerns that protests sparked by the arrests would not end in the days following the operation but could extend to election day itself, creating a situation that forces would struggle to manage.
The IDF confirmed the postponement, stating, "In light of Israel Police considerations, the arrest operation planned for next week is being postponed. Operations in the civilian sphere require coordination and cooperation with the Israel Police." The Israel Police had not yet issued a response to the report.
Separately, it was reported that the state is required to inform the High Court of Justice on Thursday about the steps it is taking to apprehend ultra-Orthodox draft dodgers. Police data presented in this report indicated that since July, 143 ultra-Orthodox draft dodgers were apprehended but released on-site because military police did not arrive in time. During the same period, military police arrested only 15 ultra-Orthodox draft dodgers, along with 14 non-ultra-Orthodox draft dodgers.
The IDF disputed these figures, stating, "The presented figure is not based on facts and does not align with the information held by the IDF. Contrary to the claims, the proactive enforcement activity of military police soldiers continues and is carried out regularly through various operational methods."
