Israel Police Refuses Mass Arrests of Yeshiva Student Draft Dodgers
Israel Police has refused a Military Police request to deploy thousands of officers for mass arrests of ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students classified as draft evaders, despite a recent policy shift by the Police Commissioner ordering detention of deserters on sight.
Israel Police has turned down an unusual request from the Military Police to allocate thousands of officers and Border Police fighters for a large-scale arrest operation targeting yeshiva students defined as draft evaders in ultra-Orthodox cities, Kikar HaShabbat has learned from senior police sources.
In the past 24 hours, the Military Police approached Israel Police requesting significant forces for a proactive operation aimed at stepping up arrests of yeshiva students classified as "deserters" and launching a wave of arrests inside Haredi cities, requiring the deployment of thousands of police officers and Border Police fighters.
Police responded with a refusal. A senior police official confirmed the details to Kikar HaShabbat, stating: "We have a lot of work, we don't have the resources for an operation like this and everything it entails. We have a lot of work with crime, with protection rackets, and more."
The decision comes against the backdrop of sharp criticism from Supreme Court justices over the police's handling of yeshiva student arrests. In a recent hearing, justices criticized the lack of enforcement by the police.
The development is notable given that Police Commissioner Dani Levy recently updated senior command staff that going forward, "every deserter we encounter will be detained, reported to the Military Police, and transferred to them for further handling" - a significant policy shift, as police had previously avoided arresting draft evaders and had instructed districts not to engage with the matter.
It now emerges that despite this policy change, the police are unwilling to allocate the forces required for broad proactive operations.
Overnight, a yeshiva student from the "Pe'er Yosef" yeshiva was arrested by Military Police in Jerusalem's Armon HaNatziv neighborhood. The arrest triggered a wave of protest, with hundreds of Jerusalem area residents arriving at the scene. Stun grenades were used during dispersal of the demonstration.