A group of Haredi Jews blocked a major highway near Tel Aviv in an anti-draft protest, triggering a heavy-handed police response
Israeli police have clashed with Haredi Jews who blocked a major highway near Tel Aviv in protest over the arrest of a draft dodger from the ultra-Orthodox community.
Dozens of protesters blocked traffic in both directions on Route 4 east of Tel Aviv early on Wednesday, sitting on the road and crawling under vehicles as law enforcement attempted to dislodge them. Police deployed stun grenades and used batons against the protesters, footage from the scene shows.
Law enforcement officers were seen dragging ultra-Orthodox protesters off the road by their clothing, with several people having their pants ripped in the process. At least five people were detained at the scene, while around eight protesters suffered minor injuries during the altercation.
The Jerusalem Faction, one of the groups behind the protest, strongly condemned the actions of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s police, accusing them of “selective enforcement” and “humiliating and unrestrained violence” against the Haredi community. The group pledged to bring the issue to the High Court of Justice should “this unacceptable conduct” continue.
Ben-Gvir, who has previously openly cheered heavy-handed policing practices, issued a restrained statement on the incident, saying he had held an “urgent meeting” over it to ensure that police use stun grenades only in “exceptional cases.”
Later in the day, thousands of Haredim gathered outside the IDF’s Beit Lid military prison, where the draft evader was being held. The demonstration apparently prompted fears that protesters could break into the facility, with additional military police units and troops deployed to secure its perimeter.
While military service is mandatory for most Israeli citizens, both men and women, members of the Haredi community have historically enjoyed an exemption. The arrangement ended in 2014, resulting in repeated arrests of draft dodgers by the authorities and ensuing mass protests. The situation further deteriorated amid the Gaza war, with the Supreme Court ruling in 2024 that thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews must be conscripted. However, the mass draft of members of the community has so far been delayed.
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