IDF, Police Clash Over Arrests of Draft Dodgers
Translated & summarized from Maariv by baba
A joint operation by the Israel Police and IDF to arrest draft dodgers has been postponed due to a dispute over troop deployment and responsibilities. The police are requesting hundreds of IDF soldiers, a demand the IDF deems impractical. Meanwhile, 143 draft dodgers were released by police without military transfer between July and October 2026, and the IDF has not yet provided criteria for handling draft dodgers at border crossings.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- A joint operation to arrest draft dodgers has been postponed due to a dispute between the police and the IDF.
- Police are demanding hundreds of additional IDF soldiers for the operation, citing public order concerns.
- The IDF states its responsibility is limited to arrests, not public order management.
- 143 draft dodgers were released by police without transfer to military custody between July and October 2026.
- The IDF has not yet provided criteria for handling draft dodgers at border crossings.
- The Deputy Legal Advisor urged both forces to cooperate and implement court rulings.
A dispute between the Israel Police and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has stalled a large-scale operation to apprehend draft dodgers, primarily from the ultra-Orthodox community. The operation, planned for October, was postponed for the second time due to disagreements over force allocation, according to a report from the Legal Advisor to the Government's office.
The police are demanding hundreds of additional IDF soldiers to support the operation, citing concerns about public order disturbances. The IDF, however, argues that this demand is impractical and misaligns with the established division of responsibilities, where the IDF handles arrests and the police manage public order.
Deputy Legal Advisor Gil Limon emphasized that the police bear the primary responsibility for public order during such operations and that the IDF's involvement should be limited to carrying out arrests. He stated that operational solutions must be found through inter-agency coordination and urged both forces to cooperate to implement court rulings and previously given commitments without delay.
The report also revealed that between July 1 and October 12, 2026, 143 draft dodgers apprehended by police were released with a summons to appear before recruitment authorities, rather than being transferred to military police. The IDF reportedly failed to arrive to take custody within the stipulated timeframe in these instances. Military police representatives stated they were unaware of these figures, which Limon described as a high number potentially indicating a failure in the joint work procedure.
Additionally, the IDF has yet to provide criteria for releasing draft dodgers at border crossings, despite over 200 individuals subject to recruitment being apprehended in September. The Population and Immigration Authority flagged these cases to the police on suspicion of 'border theft'.
Mentioned
