Ultra-Orthodox Protest Road Blockade Leads to Clashes
Translated & summarized from TheMarker by baba
Ultra-Orthodox protesters from the Jerusalem Faction blocked Highway 4 at the Yavne interchange on Sunday, protesting the arrest of draft dodgers and leading to confrontations with drivers and police intervention with stun grenades. Similar protests earlier in the month caused significant traffic disruptions and resulted in arrests for assaulting officers. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has urged the IDF to resume proactive arrests of draft dodgers, citing security concerns.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Ultra-Orthodox protesters blocked Highway 4 at Yavne interchange on Sunday protesting draft dodger arrests.
- Police used stun grenades to disperse the illegal protest, leading to clashes with drivers.
- Similar protests earlier in the month caused major traffic jams and resulted in arrests.
- Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara ordered the IDF to resume proactive arrests of draft dodgers.
- The IDF had reportedly stopped proactive arrests of yeshiva students evading service since August.
Ultra-Orthodox protesters from the Jerusalem Faction blocked Highway 4 at the Yavne interchange on Sunday morning, protesting the arrest of draft dodgers. Police dispersed the demonstrators using stun grenades after declaring the protest illegal. Traffic was halted in both directions, and confrontations erupted between the protesters and drivers.
Earlier this month, similar protests by the Jerusalem Faction blocked Highway 4 between the Aluf Sde and Umm al-Fahm interchanges, as well as the entrance to Jerusalem, also against the arrest of draft dodgers. Traffic resumed after more than two hours. Police reported three arrests in Bnei Brak on suspicion of assaulting officers. In Jerusalem, protesters surrounded a car carrying an ultra-Orthodox soldier, and police used stun grenades and batons to extract him. One protester was arrested, and another was injured.
On the same day, protesters disrupted traffic in Bnei Brak on Jabotinsky Road, causing significant delays. Around 150 protesters gathered near the Mor Institute, chanting slogans against military conscription and shouting derogatory terms at women passing by. Clashes occurred between drivers and protesters, and hateful chants were also directed at a kippah-wearing soldier. Police attempted to forcibly remove the protesters.
Earlier this month, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara instructed the IDF to resume proactive arrests of draft dodgers, stating that the lack of such enforcement was incompatible with security needs. She also called for lowering the threshold for prosecution of draft evasion and for amending military disciplinary regulations. The army had previously indicated that proactive enforcement would resume in October. A report in Haaretz in September indicated that the IDF had ceased proactive arrest operations against yeshiva students evading service since August.
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