Ultra-Orthodox Protesters Block Major Highway Over Draft Dodger Arrests

Ultra-Orthodox protesters from the extremist Jerusalem Faction blocked Highway 4 near the Gan Yavne interchange on Sunday morning, protesting the arrest of draft dodgers. The demonstration, which began without prior notice during peak traffic hours, caused significant disruptions, with police reporting the highway closed in both directions. Video footage showed protesters chanting "We will die and not enlist" as they blocked vehicles.

The protest was sparked by the arrest of two ultra-Orthodox men by Rishon Lezion police on Thursday. During a routine check, it was discovered that both men were draft dodgers. They were subsequently transferred to military police and sentenced to 20 days in military prison on Friday. The Jerusalem Faction, followers of Rabbi Tzvi Friedman, stated that one of the arrested men was a yeshiva student.

This incident follows a pattern of escalating tensions. On Wednesday, ultra-Orthodox protesters attempted to breach a building housing a unit for integrating the ultra-Orthodox into the IDF, resulting in the arrest of two demonstrators. The Jerusalem Faction operates an emergency system called "Color Black" to thwart draft dodger arrests by rapidly mobilizing protesters to the scene of an operation.

In a separate incident on October 6, hundreds of ultra-Orthodox protesters surrounded and clashed with military police in Modi'in, preventing the arrest of a draft dodger. Military police were forced to withdraw from the scene without making the arrest, requiring police assistance for their extraction. The protesters had gained entry to the residential building where the draft dodger was located.

Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, condemned the actions, stating, "Dozens of draft dodgers are trying to forcibly break into a military base. Anyone trying to break into an IDF base is simply a terrorist; they must all be arrested now and thrown in jail."