Massive Traffic Disruptions Hit Tel Aviv Area as Ultra-Orthodox Protesters Block Roads

Major traffic jams and road closures have erupted in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area (Gush Dan) following the resumption of protests against the arrest of yeshiva students and military conscription. Since the afternoon, Highway 4 has been blocked in both directions between the Aluf Sadeh and Em HaMoshavot interchanges. Police have deployed large forces from the Dan district to maintain public order and direct traffic, warning of potential additional blockages along Jabotinsky Road, a key route connecting Petah Tikva, Bnei Brak, and Ramat Gan.

The protests restarted after a five-week lull, led by students of Rabbi Tzvi Friedman, who took to the streets in response to the arrest and military imprisonment of a young ultra-Orthodox man. Protesters claim the individual came to the police unit Lahav 433 to provide testimony but was immediately detained and handed over to military authorities, violating previous police commitments that yeshiva students reporting for civilian matters would not be arrested for draft evasion.

Knesset Member Moshe Abutbul sharply criticized National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir in a letter, calling the arrest a "red line" and a serious breach of trust with the ultra-Orthodox community. He urged immediate clarification of police procedures to allow Torah students to report to police without fear.

The Israel Police rejected the protesters' claims, stating the man was summoned as a suspect in a criminal case involving forged driver's licenses, not merely to provide testimony. The detainee, Moshe Steiner, 21, from Bnei Brak and a relative of Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda Finkel of the Mir Yeshiva, was officially summoned for investigation under caution at Lahav 433. Police emphasized that in cases involving serious criminal suspicions, the usual leniency towards draft evaders does not apply.

Authorities have preemptively blocked major roads to prevent dangerous protest actions on highways, causing significant disruptions even before protesters arrived. The security establishment is preparing for possible escalation and expansion of protests to other locations, with past demonstrations frequently targeting Highway 4 and Jabotinsky Street but occasionally surprising police with unexpected blockades.