Haredi Draft Fury Escalates, IDF Chief Condemns Protest Outside Prison Officer's Home
Haredi activists demonstrated overnight outside the private home of a prison security officer in Kiryat Ata, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir condemned the protest and called on law enforcement to act decisively against the rioters.
The Haredi protest movement against yeshiva student arrests took a sharp new turn overnight, as activists brought demonstrations directly to the private home of a military prison officer, drawing a strong rebuke from Israel's top general.
Dozens of Haredi activists descended on Kiryat Ata overnight Tuesday-Wednesday, gathering outside the private residence of the security officer of Military Prison 10. Protesters chanted against the government's yeshiva draft enforcement policy and vandalized the building's entrance area.
IDF Chief Responds
IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir condemned the incident in unambiguous terms, saying he "views with utmost gravity any attempt to harm or intimidate IDF personnel who are lawfully protecting the state while performing their duties."
Zamir added that "the IDF expects law enforcement authorities to act decisively against the rioters."
An IDF spokesperson described the protest as "a serious and unacceptable event," noting that activists had gathered at the officer's private apartment while vandalizing the building's grounds.
Police Used Tasers, Protesters Say
Police forces deployed dispersal measures against the crowd, though demonstrators maintained their protest throughout. According to accounts from those present, tasers were used against some of the protesters during the confrontation.
The demonstration came on the same night that three additional yeshiva students were transferred to military police and taken to a military detention facility.
"They Should Feel It Themselves"
Protest organizers made clear that targeting the private homes of enforcement officials is now deliberate strategy. "If military police officers and enforcement personnel feel a little of what they are doing to Torah families and Torah learners, perhaps they will have second thoughts," demonstrators said during the protest.
Organizers announced at the conclusion of the overnight action that "the wave of protests against command staff will continue for as long as the arrests of yeshiva students continue," explicitly stating they will not limit themselves to demonstrations outside police stations and military bases, but will continue bringing protests to the private homes of senior enforcement figures.
Deepening Crisis
The escalation comes amid sharply rising tensions between the Haredi community and Israeli law enforcement over the enforcement of military conscription on yeshiva students. Protesters characterize the arrests as "persecution of Torah learners" and have vowed to maintain pressure until the policy is reversed.
The overnight events, riots at the Benjamin police station, arrests of three yeshiva students, and a demonstration outside a prison officer's home, mark what many observers are calling the most intense single night of Haredi draft protests since the enforcement policy was introduced.