Israel Arrests Three Ultra-Orthodox Men for Evading Military Service

Tel Aviv, MINA – Israeli police have arrested three ultra Orthodox (Haredi) men for evading military service, marking the first time such arrests have been made against draft dodgers from the Haredi community, according to a report by Anadolu Agency on Tuesday.

The three men were detained during a protest in the city of Yehud, where they were opposing a construction project deemed to desecrate a local cemetery. Police later handed them over to military police, as they were listed as military draft fugitives.

Israel’s Channel 12 reported, “This is the first time police have arrested draft evaders from the Haredi community and transferred them to the military.”

The suspects’ legal representatives confirmed that they were formally charged with violating draft laws.

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The arrests sparked outrage among members of the Haredi community. Community leaders have threatened to stage mass protests and block roads in response.

Tensions over Haredi conscription have escalated following a June 25 ruling by the Israeli Supreme Court that mandated the enlistment of ultra-Orthodox men and revoked state funding for religious institutions that refuse to send students to the military.

The Haredi community makes up about 13 percent of Israel’s 10 million citizens. Many of its members reject military service on the grounds that their lives are dedicated to Torah study, and joining the secular military would compromise their religious identity.

For decades, most Haredi men have avoided military service at age 18 by obtaining repeated deferments until reaching the exemption age of 26.

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Several political parties, from both the government coalition and the opposition, have criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s push for legislation exempting Haredi men from military service, calling it a discriminatory policy.

This development comes amid Israel’s ongoing genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, launched on October 7, 2023, which has killed more than 59.100 Palestinians the majority of them women and children. The military campaign has devastated Gaza’s infrastructure, collapsed its healthcare system, and triggered a severe hunger crisis. [Nia]

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)

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