Following the riots in Modi’in during a failed attempt to arrest an ultra-Orthodox draft evader, and amid the resumption of arrests of draft evaders, the Jerusalem Faction, a hard-line ultra-Orthodox group opposed to military conscription, announced mass protests for Thursday afternoon in Jerusalem and central Israel, at around 4 p.m.
“Following the arrests in recent days by military authorities of students at yeshivas, Jewish religious seminaries, and married men engaged in full-time advanced Jewish religious study, and their abandonment by the ultra-Orthodox establishment, our revered rabbi, Rabbi Ezriel Auerbach, instructed the public to launch mass protests across the country against the desecration of the honor of the Torah and those who study it,” the Committee to Save the Torah World said in a statement.
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Road closures on Geha Highway during a Jerusalem Faction protest in July
(Photo: Kobi Koankes)
“Speaking to the committee’s rabbis, the rabbi sharply criticized the abandonment of yeshiva students by those who had previously declared that they would stand by them at such a time. The rabbi noted that the protest is also over the terrible desecration of God’s name caused by yeshiva students and married kollel students being thrown into prison while no one speaks out.”
The protest is expected to include all components of the Jerusalem Faction. Its demonstrations usually include the group known as the “Ratzapnikim,” named after Rabbi Tzvi Friedman, the group’s leader. This time, however, the entire Jerusalem Faction may take part, meaning the protest could be larger and more disruptive.
The protest announcement came after hundreds of ultra-Orthodox men were summoned to Modi’in overnight Monday into Tuesday after an ultra-Orthodox draft evader activated the “Black Alert” system, used to mobilize supporters when authorities attempt to arrest draft evaders. Protesters then entered the building where he had barricaded himself in an effort to prevent his arrest.
The ultra-Orthodox extremists clashed with police who arrived to disperse them and surrounded Military Police soldiers. The protesters ultimately declared victory in the confrontation after negotiations with police resulted in an agreement allowing the soldiers to leave on condition that the draft evader was not arrested.
A police review obtained by ynet found that, contrary to procedure, the small Military Police force that arrived at the scene did not immediately remove the draft evader after locating him, instead giving him time to prepare. As he stalled, rioters began gathering at the scene. Only then were police called in to help extract the military force and restore order.
The riots in Modi’in and the attempted arrest
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On Tuesday, the IDF acknowledged during a meeting with Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara that it had refrained from carrying out proactive arrests of draft evaders “in the recent period,” without specifying exactly when. It said this was done “against the backdrop of concentrating efforts at border crossings and adjustments for the holiday period.”
The IDF’s acknowledgment contradicts what it told the media just two weeks earlier. At the time, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said reports that the military had stopped carrying out proactive arrests were “incorrect,” adding that the Military Police was conducting proactive enforcement operations in population centers and at border crossings.
However, in an update submitted to the High Court of Justice on behalf of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, the military acknowledged that it had generally not carried out proactive enforcement or arrests in recent weeks. Military officials said enforcement efforts had instead been focused on border crossings, with additional adjustments made for the High Holiday period.
The document added that the military would resume proactive arrest operations during October.
Deputy Attorney General Gil Limon reprimanded the military, saying, among other things, that “the fact that for a considerable period no proactive operations, including arrests, have been carried out against draft dodgers is inconsistent with security needs, particularly in light of the senior military command’s clarification that expanding the standing army is a strategic necessity. It is also inconsistent with the principle of equality, the state’s commitments to the High Court of Justice and the court ruling that determined that the law preventing the arrest of yeshiva students must be struck down.”
Concerns over 'loopholes' in enforcement of the ban on leaving Israel
(Photo: GIL COHEN-MAGEN / AFP)
The document also shows that as part of the military’s “concentration of efforts” at border crossings in September, 212 draft evaders and draft dodgers were arrested. An estimated 163 of them were ultra-Orthodox.
All 212 detainees were prosecuted, most in disciplinary proceedings. Of the 188 people arrested at Ben Gurion Airport, 64 were apprehended only upon returning to Israel, raising concerns about possible “loopholes” in enforcement of the ban on leaving the country.
The Population and Immigration Authority said that identified “loopholes” were quickly closed and that cases involving anyone suspected of the criminal offense of illegally crossing the border were referred to Israel Police or the IDF.
The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit later said: “The claim that we provided information that was untrue is incorrect. It should be clarified that during the High Holiday period, policing teams and preparations for the arrest of draft dodgers and draft evaders were reinforced at various border crossings, in addition to routine activity and presence. During the holidays, more than 200 draft evaders and draft dodgers were proactively arrested at border crossings.
“At the same time, proactive arrests were also carried out by the Military Police, all in coordination with the police. During September, the Military Police Corps carried out 15 proactive attempts to arrest draft evaders and draft dodgers. Eight draft evaders and draft dodgers were ultimately arrested.”