Ultra-Orthodox Protest Blocks Major Israeli Junctions During Rush Hour

An illegal protest by ultra-Orthodox demonstrators against the arrest of draft dodgers caused significant traffic disruptions on Wednesday, October 21st, during peak rush hour. Protesters blocked Route 402 in both directions near the police station in Kfar Saba, and Route 4 was also closed in both directions between the Ra'anana North and Ra'anana South interchanges. Police were present at the scene, directing traffic to alternative routes and working to reopen the roads. The demonstrations were called for by the Jerusalem Faction, a hardline ultra-Orthodox group, following renewed efforts by the IDF to arrest draft dodgers after a two-month hiatus. Rabbi Azriel Auerbach had called for protests against these arrests. Last week, similar protests against draft dodger arrests led to confrontations in Modi'in, where hundreds of demonstrators surrounded military police attempting to arrest a draft dodger, preventing the arrest until police reinforcements arrived. On Tuesday night, military police attempted to arrest an ultra-Orthodox draft dodger, but hundreds of protesters arrived after a "Red Color" early warning system was activated, surrounding the officers and preventing the arrest. The military police eventually left without the draft dodger, requiring police intervention for their extraction. Earlier this week, a targeted enforcement operation at Ben Gurion Airport led to the detention of approximately 40 young ultra-Orthodox men, identified as draft dodgers, upon their arrival from the United States after a year of religious studies. These individuals, affiliated with the Chabad Hasidic movement, were reportedly detained at passport control with the intention of enabling them to vote in an upcoming election in a week.