Ultra-Orthodox Protest Planned Over Arrest of Draft-Dodger, Accusing Police Chief of Broken Promise

Ultra-Orthodox protesters opposing IDF conscription plan to block roads in Bnei Brak on Wednesday afternoon to protest the arrest of a draft-dodger after nearly three weeks without arrests. The demonstrations are expected around 4 p.m., mainly on Route 4 or Jabotinsky Street, with possible additional locations. Shas MK Moshe Abutbul said the arrested individual is a yeshiva student who was summoned for testimony in a fraud case at Lahav 433. After his testimony, a police officer escorted him to a parking lot and handed him over to the military police. Abutbul condemned this as a serious breach of trust and a violation of the police chief's commitment to the ultra-Orthodox community, stating, "This is how trust is destroyed."

Abutbul also referenced a letter sent to National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, suggesting that police guidelines may not have been clearly communicated and calling for immediate clarification to allow ultra-Orthodox individuals to file complaints at police stations without fear of arrest. He warned that continued conduct like this could severely damage public trust in the police and discourage citizens from seeking help, potentially endangering lives.

The coalition had passed a law protecting draft-dodgers from arrest until elections, but it was temporarily struck down by the Supreme Court. Since the IDF lacks the means to arrest draft-dodgers and police do not assist, and given that arrests in ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods often provoke violent responses against military police, arrests of ultra-Orthodox draft-dodgers in Israel have been rare.