Police Clear Haredi Protesters Blocking Highway 4

The protest was sparked by the arrest of two ultra-Orthodox men by Rishon Lezion police on Thursday. The men, identified as draft dodgers during a routine check, were transferred to military police and sentenced on Friday to 20 days in military prison. One of the detained men was identified as Yedidya Mizrahi, a student at the Or HaChaim yeshiva.

The demonstrators, numbering between 40 and 50 individuals, belong to the Jerusalem Faction, specifically a group known as Hertsvanikim who are followers of Rabbi Tzvi Friedman. Protesters blocked vehicles and chanted "We will die and not enlist," leading to significant traffic congestion. Clashes broke out on the highway as some motorists and passersby attempted to physically remove the demonstrators from the road.

Police and the National Roads Authority confirmed the highway closure, and officers advised drivers to seek alternative routes. The Jerusalem Faction had announced its intention to protest on Saturday but did not disclose the time or location beforehand. The demonstration coincides with a broader legal dispute over a new Knesset law aimed at canceling arrest warrants for draft dodgers, which has been temporarily frozen by the High Court of Justice.