Ultra-Orthodox Protest Erupts Over Draft Dodger Arrest, Disrupts Traffic
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
Dozens of ultra-Orthodox protesters blocked Route 444 near Ra'anana and Elad on Wednesday, protesting the arrest of a draft dodger. The demonstration led to clashes with police and further arrests, with the draft dodger receiving a 10-day military jail sentence. The protests occurred amid ongoing judicial criticism of the state's handling of Haredi conscription and a lack of data on enforcement.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Dozens of ultra-Orthodox protesters blocked Route 444 near Ra'anana and Elad on Wednesday.
- The protest was against the arrest of a draft dodger, who was sentenced to 10 days in military prison.
- Demonstrations led to clashes with police and further arrests.
- Protesters reportedly called police officers "Nazis."
- The incident follows judicial criticism of the state's handling of Haredi conscription.
Dozens of ultra-Orthodox protesters blocked traffic near the Ra'anana police station on Wednesday, protesting the arrest of a draft dodger. The demonstration, which lasted over three hours, escalated into confrontations with police, leading to further arrests. The draft dodger was subsequently sent to 10 days in military prison. Students from his yeshiva continued protests near Elad, causing the closure of Route 444 in both directions. Police reported that the draft dodger was apprehended while driving a car without a license plate. He was instructed to report to the police station the following day, where his status as a draft dodger was revealed, leading to his transfer to military police. The protest was reportedly organized by the "Black Flag" center, which aids Haredi men evading military service. During the Elad protest, former mayor Israel Prosh, son of MK Meir Prosh, attempted to calm the demonstrators and was clung to by some protesters as he tried to drive away. The road blockades continued into the night, with reports of violence from police and protesters calling officers "Nazis."
This incident follows a recent sharp critique from the Tel Aviv District Court regarding the state's handling of Haredi conscription. Judge Limor Bibi admonished the military for repeatedly failing to meet deadlines for providing answers on the enforcement of conscription, questioning the lack of specific data on arrests and punishments for draft evasion, particularly concerning disparities between Haredi and other sectors. Previous court discussions in June revealed that the IDF allegedly lacks segmented data on draft evasion among Haredim compared to other groups, relying instead on outdated general statistics.
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