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Haredi Protesters Block Arrest of Draft Dodger Near Jerusalem
Dozens of ultra-Orthodox demonstrators stopped military police from detaining a draft evader in Maale Adumim. Officers withdrew after the confrontation, according to Israeli public broadcaster KAN News.
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A large group of haredi protesters halted the arrest of a draft dodger in Maale Adumim near Jerusalem on Sunday night, Israeli public broadcaster KAN News reported. After receiving word of the attempted arrest, dozens of demonstrators arrived at the scene. Military police left shortly afterward, and footage showed an officer telling protesters he had come without patrol cars.
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The incident occurred amid wider demonstrations across Israel. On Wednesday, thousands of hard-line haredi demonstrators blocked Highways 1 and 4 and disrupted traffic on 28 other major roads. Organizers stated the goal was the immediate release of all detainees from the Torah world, an end to arrests, and revocation of measures they describe as decrees against Torah students and their families.
Two days earlier, clashes occurred outside Military Prison 10 near Beit Lid, where arrested draft evaders are held.
Ministry officials have backed a proposal to temporarily freeze arrests of haredi draft evaders. The move follows a letter from Government Secretary Yossi Fuchs outlining the government's stance that such arrests have undermined efforts to increase enlistment.
Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chair Boaz Bismuth released an outline of the proposal after receiving a request to convene an urgent meeting on the matter.
