Police Chief Orders Immediate Arrest of All Draft Evaders

In a dramatic reversal of longstanding policy, Police Commissioner Danny Levy has instructed officers nationwide to immediately detain any military deserter they encounter, marking a significant escalation in the enforcement of draft orders against yeshiva students.

The new directive, issued Monday and emphasized to senior command staff, states that "any deserter encountered will be detained, a report will be submitted to the Military Police, and he will be transferred to the Military Police for further handling." The policy represents a complete departure from previous guidelines that explicitly instructed district commanders to avoid involvement in desertion cases.

According to the directive reported by journalist Liran Tamari on Ynet, officers who encounter individuals classified as deserters must now detain them on the spot, notify the Military Police, and wait with the detainee until a Military Police representative arrives. The Military Police has been given a 30-minute window to respond; if no representative arrives within that timeframe, the individual must be released with a summons to report to Military Police headquarters.

From Non-Enforcement to Active Detention

The policy shift comes after months of tension between the IDF and Israel Police over enforcement of draft orders. Senior military officials stated last month that enforcement operations against deserters had been frozen because the police refused to coordinate with the army on arrests in civilian areas.

"The army cannot operate in civilian space without coordination with the police," military sources explained at the time. "The refusal of Israel Police to coordinate with us on this issue does not allow for enforcement."

The new directive effectively resolves that impasse by making police officers themselves responsible for initial detention and transfer to military authorities. For tens of thousands of yeshiva students currently classified as deserters by the State of Israel, the practical implications are stark: any encounter with police could now result in immediate detention.

Danny Levy (Photo: Yonathan Zindel/ Flash90)

"Persecution of Torah Scholars"

The Shas party issued a scathing response to Commissioner Levy's directive, framing it as misplaced priorities during a period of rising violent crime.

"At a time when acts of violence and crime are surging and murderers roam freely in the streets, instead of the police properly handling national security, it decides to allocate resources to pursue precious Torah scholars like the worst criminals," the party stated. "It is a shame and disgrace that this happens in the Jewish state."

Shas appealed to the commissioner directly, "Mr. Commissioner, do not fall into the political trap led by the Attorney General and her team, whose entire purpose is to bring down the government. Do not lay your hand on yeshiva students and Torah scholars."

The policy change follows a week of escalating confrontations between Military Police and Haredi communities, including pre-dawn raids on yeshiva students' homes and a shocking incident in which anti-draft protesters breached the yard of the Chief Military Police Officer's residence in Ashkelon while his family was inside.

Haredi Extremists Storm IDF Officer's House (Photo: Police Spokesperson)

Commissioner's Defense of Rule of Law

Commissioner Levy has repeatedly emphasized his commitment to enforcing court rulings and maintaining democratic norms, even when they conflict with political pressures. In a recent interview, he declared: "How can we think, God forbid, that a police commissioner who leads the most central gatekeeper organization in the State of Israel will not enforce the law and will not obey the High Court's ruling?"

"I declare here with a committee, I and the Israel Police officers, we will fight for democracy to the last drop of blood," Levy stated, responding to questions about whether he would follow judicial decisions even if instructed otherwise by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

The timing of the directive is particularly sensitive, as enforcement of draft orders against Haredi yeshiva students had been largely suspended during the recent military confrontation with Iran. With that immediate security threat receded, pressure has mounted to resume implementation of High Court rulings requiring equal conscription.

Police officials emphasized that the new policy applies to "random encounters" between officers and deserters during routine patrols, not proactive raids or targeted operations. However, for a community where tens of thousands of young men are technically classified as deserters, the distinction may offer little comfort.