Haredi protesters plan demonstration on Highway 4 following arrest of draft dodger

Ultra-Orthodox protesters are planning to block Highway 4 near Bnei Brak on Monday afternoon. The demonstration aims to protest the arrest of a draft dodger.

This action follows a call from Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara for renewed arrests and stricter economic sanctions against military draft evaders. She expressed concern that weak enforcement against ultra-Orthodox men undermines the draft process and creates unequal application of the law compared to other population segments. The Attorney-General's Office reviewed enforcement for the 2025 draft year, noting that fewer arrests lead to fewer prosecutions.

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weak enforcement against ultra-Orthodox men is undermining the draft process, ultimately leaving potential recruits out of the army and leading to unequal enforcement compared to the rest of the population.

Military officials have warned that the current enforcement gap harms the effectiveness of the draft process, resulting in unrealized recruitment potential and unequal enforcement across different sectors of the population. Despite these challenges, the review acknowledged a significant increase in Haredi enlistment over the past year. Protests by the haredi community against the military draft have led to numerous demonstrations throughout the year, disrupting public transportation and major highways.

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this gap harms effective draft enforcement, leaving recruitment potential unrealized and resulting in unequal enforcement against different sectors of the population.