Police Leadership Signals Halt to Targeted Arrests of Haredi Draft Evaders

Senior police officials recently conveyed a message to Haredi representatives that Police Commissioner, Chief Superintendent Danny Levy, is expected to order an end to the targeted arrests of Haredi draft evaders. According to the emerging outline, the police will return to the previous policy under which an officer who encounters a draft evader will simply issue a summons, without handing him over to the military police.

The messages were delivered ahead of a meeting scheduled for next Monday at the National Police College, with senior police command officials, department heads and the deputy commissioner meeting Haredi representatives. The commanders said the purpose of the meeting is to calm tensions and break the Haredi boycott of the police. The move is being led by the police chief rabbi, Rami Brakhyahu, who will bring the police deputy commissioner, the deputy head of operations and the deputy head of investigations into the discussion, with the commissioner’s approval. It is highly doubtful that an official announcement will be issued on the matter, since both the High Court of Justice and the attorney general have made clear to the police that it is obliged to take part in the arrest of Haredi draft evaders.