At Least 25 Haredi Draft Dodgers Detained at Ben Airport

The individuals, who belong to the Chabad Hasidic movement, were apprehended after arriving back in the country. They are scheduled to face disciplinary proceedings before a military judge. This incident follows previous reports about increased efforts by airport authorities, military police, and the Population and Immigration Authority to prevent draft dodgers from leaving Israel. A joint initiative by the Ministry of Transportation, the Population Authority, and the IDF was developed to close security loopholes exploited in recent months amid heavy airport congestion. The new policy, formulated after professional discussions, involves augmenting passport control checkpoints before the duty-free area with military police and transportation ministry representatives to assist immigration inspectors. Law enforcement identified a trend where individuals prohibited from leaving the country were attaching themselves to travelers cleared for departure, successfully passing through checkpoints without passport stamping due to the significant crowds. The enhanced security measures, including additional personnel and a dedicated arrest vehicle in the airside area, are intended to address this vulnerability and are set to be implemented soon. The increased preparedness is also in anticipation of a substantial rise in travelers to Uman for Rosh Hashanah.