Haredi Yeshiva Students Attacked in Rechasim but Avoid Police Due to Draft Evasion Fears

A violent attack occurred Saturday night at a Haredi yeshiva in the northern Israeli town of Rechasim when a group of marginalized youths stormed the campus, throwing stones and heavy objects and physically assaulting students. Despite injuries and panic, the students refrained from calling the police or seeking medical help due to fears of arrest by military police for draft evasion. According to eyewitnesses, the incident began as a fight outside the yeshiva and quickly escalated inside, with attackers wielding knives and severely beating at least one student until he was bleeding heavily. The injured student remains in the dormitory with serious wounds but refuses hospital treatment or to file a police complaint because of his draft evasion status. Students expressed feeling unprotected and vulnerable, stating that many in the yeshiva avoid reporting crimes to authorities out of fear of military detention. Insiders note this attack is part of a growing trend of violence and lawlessness within the Haredi community, where criminals exploit the reluctance of draft-evading youths to engage with law enforcement. Journalist Yoeli Barim summarized the situation as one where offenders operate with impunity inside the Haredi autonomous areas, capitalizing on the community's fear of authorities.