IDF Aborts Major Draft Evasion Arrest Operation Amid Police Dispute
Translated & summarized from Kikar HaShabbat by baba
An extensive IDF operation to arrest Haredi draft dodgers and deserters, planned for next week, was canceled due to a sharp dispute between the IDF and Israel Police over responsibility for public order during arrests. The IDF claims the police demanded 300 soldiers for security, exceeding the IDF's role, while the police assert they are only a supporting element. Data shows the IDF failed to respond to 144 random encounters with draft dodgers since July, leading to their release. The dispute highlights ongoing coordination failures in enforcing draft laws within the Haredi community.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- IDF canceled a major operation to arrest draft dodgers next week due to a dispute with police.
- The conflict is over who is responsible for public order during arrests of yeshiva students.
- IDF claims police demanded 300 soldiers for security, exceeding IDF's role.
- Police say they are a supporting element and IDF leads the arrests.
- IDF failed to respond to 144 random draft dodger encounters since July.
- The operation's cancellation highlights ongoing coordination failures.
A large-scale operation by the Military Police, planned for next week to arrest yeshiva students classified as draft dodgers and deserters, has been canceled at the last minute due to a severe dispute and mutual accusations between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israel Police.
The core of the disagreement centers on responsibility for handling public disturbances and riots, which often erupt during arrest attempts of deserters in the Haredi sector. The police informed the IDF on Tuesday that the operation would not proceed. According to Ynet, IDF sources claim the cancellation followed a police demand that the IDF allocate approximately 300 Military Police soldiers to manage public order during the operation. The IDF argues this demand exceeds its authority, as maintaining public order in civilian areas is the police's responsibility.
Conversely, the Israel Police refuted these claims, stating they are only a supporting element, with the overall responsibility and leadership of the arrests resting with the IDF. This cancellation follows previous instances where the IDF admitted to avoiding arrests of Haredi deserters during holiday periods due to heightened sensitivity, despite the Legal Advisor to the Government, Gali Baharav-Miara, clarifying that the IDF must resume such enforcement operations.
The issue of security arrangements surrounding arrests repeatedly emerges as a major point of contention, with each body attempting to shift the complex task to the other, leading to a breakdown in coordination and the cancellation of activities. Data from the police also reveals a complex picture regarding random enforcement. According to existing procedures, when police encounter a draft dodger or deserter incidentally, the Military Police are supposed to send a representative within 30 minutes to make an arrest. However, since July, in 144 such cases, the IDF failed to dispatch a Military Police officer within the designated timeframe, forcing the police to release suspects after issuing a summons to report to military service.
In only 14 instances did Military Police representatives arrive and complete the arrest, with most of these not involving deserters from the Haredi sector. The IDF stated that its responsibility is to carry out the arrest, while the police are responsible for maintaining public order and dispersing disturbances, a task clarified by the Deputy Attorney General as belonging to the Israel Police. The IDF also noted that dozens of draft dodgers and deserters have been arrested in recent weeks through proactive operations and at border crossings by the Military Police, in addition to joint operations with the Israel Police.
The Israel Police responded that the mission is the responsibility and leadership of the Military Police, with the police acting as a supporting force. They stated that to meet operational needs for proactive operations, the IDF must deploy sufficient forces for arrests. If the IDF meets these operational requirements, the Israel Police will join the mission and address the tasks under its responsibility.
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