Ultra-Orthodox Protesters Wear Yellow Badges, Compare IDF Draft to Nazi Persecution on Highway 4

On Wednesday, ultra-Orthodox protesters staged a demonstration on Highway 4 against mandatory military conscription in Israel. Participants wore yellow badges labeled "Haredi," drawing direct comparisons between IDF draft demands and Nazi persecution, with some claiming the Zionist state seeks to destroy Torah study and faith as the Nazis once did. Protesters chanted slogans such as "Better to die at the hands of the Nazis" and "Death is preferable to army service," emphasizing their total opposition to enlistment.

One protester, Leib Cohen, stated the yellow badge symbolized the state's attempt to annihilate religious life, equating it to Nazi oppression. Azriel Buchner added that faith is more important than life itself, citing historical martyrdom during the Crusades and asserting the struggle is non-negotiable. The protest blocked Highway 4 from Aluf Sadeh Interchange to Em HaMoshavot, with demonstrators sitting on the road and chanting against the draft.

The political response was swift and critical. Avigdor Lieberman, leader of Yisrael Beiteinu, condemned the use of Holocaust symbolism as disgraceful and accused the government of enabling draft evasion. MK Hili Tropper called for cutting state funding to extremist ultra-Orthodox educational institutions. Naftali Bennett, head of the Yachdut party, blamed the Netanyahu-Deri-Smotrich coalition for enabling the protest and vowed to end exemptions and financial support for draft evaders.

Labor leader Yair Golan also criticized the ultra-Orthodox leadership and Prime Minister Netanyahu for politically backing the protest, accusing them of disregarding the burden on soldiers and reservists. The protest was sparked by the arrest of a draft-dodging yeshiva student, who was taken into custody following testimony in a fraud investigation. Police sources clarified the individual was a suspect in a separate case and transferred to military police after being identified as an IDF deserter.

The coalition had passed a law protecting draft evaders from arrest until elections, but it was temporarily struck down by the Supreme Court. Due to limited enforcement tools and community resistance, arrests of ultra-Orthodox draft evaders remain rare. The protest highlighted ongoing tensions over military service exemptions and the political divide surrounding the issue.