Jerusalem Faction Plans Afternoon Roadblocks Protesting Haredi Draft Arrests

Students of Rabbi Tzvi Friedman, leader of the Jerusalem Faction, are set to stage intense protests on Monday afternoon against the arrest of draft-dodging Haredi yeshiva students and their transfer to military police custody. Initially, organizers intended to block major roads such as Highway 4 in the morning, but following direct instructions from Rabbi Friedman, the demonstrations were postponed to the afternoon to avoid disrupting the start of the Elul study period and allow yeshiva students to continue their learning in the morning.

No specific locations or road closures have yet been announced for the upcoming protests. The current wave of demonstrations follows increased enforcement efforts and the recent arrests of several draft-dodging yeshiva students. A notable case is that of Israel Gochfi, a student of the "Beit Midrash Elyon" yeshiva in Bnei Brak who recently transferred to Kfar Chassidim. Gochfi was detained earlier this week in Haifa while traveling to Rekhasim due to a problem with his Rav-Kav transit card and was subsequently handed over to the military police.

The protests reflect ongoing tensions within the Haredi community regarding military conscription and enforcement measures targeting draft evasion.