IDF Ultra-Orthodox Draft Dodger Arrest Operation Canceled Last Minute
Translated & summarized from Kikar HaShabbat by baba
An IDF operation to arrest ultra-Orthodox draft dodgers, planned for next week, was canceled due to a severe dispute between the IDF and the Israel Police over who is responsible for managing public disturbances during arrests. The IDF claims the police demanded IDF soldiers handle public order, while the police say the IDF leads the arrests and they are only assisting. This follows previous delays due to sensitivity and a clarification from the Attorney General that the IDF must conduct these operations. Data shows the Military Police have failed to respond promptly to random encounters with draft dodgers.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- An IDF operation to arrest Haredi draft dodgers was canceled due to a dispute between the IDF and Israel Police.
- The IDF and police disagree on responsibility for managing public disturbances during draft dodger arrests.
- The police claim the IDF must lead the arrests, while the IDF says public order is the police's job.
- The Attorney General previously stated the IDF must resume enforcement and arrest operations.
- Police data shows the Military Police failed to respond promptly in 144 draft dodger encounters since July.
- The canceled operation was intended to last several days and involve extensive Military Police activity.
An extensive operation by the Military Police to arrest yeshiva students classified as draft dodgers and deserters, which was scheduled to take place next week and last several days, has been canceled at the last minute. The cancellation stems from a severe dispute and mutual accusations between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israel Police.
The core of the disagreement concerns responsibility for handling public disturbances and riots, which often erupt during attempts to arrest draft dodgers in the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) sector. The police informed the IDF on Tuesday that the operation would not proceed. According to reports, IDF sources claim the police demanded the IDF allocate approximately 300 military police soldiers to manage the disturbances, a demand they argue exceeds the army's authority, as maintaining public order in civilian areas is the police's responsibility.
Conversely, the Israel Police refuted these claims, stating that the police serve only in a supporting capacity, while the overall responsibility and leadership of the arrests lie with the IDF. This cancellation follows previous instances where the IDF admitted to refraining from arresting Haredi draft dodgers during holiday periods due to sensitivity, despite the Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, clarifying that the IDF must resume enforcement and arrest 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 collapse in coordination and the cancellation of activities. Data from the police also reveals a complex picture regarding random enforcement, showing that since last July, in 144 instances where police encountered a draft dodger or deserter, the Military Police failed to dispatch a representative within the required 30-minute timeframe. In most of these cases, the suspects were released with only a summons to the recruitment office, and in only 14 instances did Military Police complete the arrest, mostly not involving individuals from the Haredi sector.
The IDF stated that its responsibility is to carry out the arrests, while the police are responsible for public order and dispersing disturbances, a task clarified by the Deputy Attorney General as belonging to the 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 element. They stated that to fulfill the mission, the IDF needs to deploy sufficient forces for proactive operations. If the IDF meets these operational requirements, the Israel Police will join the mission and handle its responsibilities.
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