Israeli Police Warn Drivers to Avoid Greater Tel Aviv as Haredi Protests, Major Concerts Converge
Israeli police warn Gush Dan drivers to stay off the roads Thursday as Haredi anti-draft protests and three major concerts collide across the greater Tel Aviv area.
Israeli police are warning drivers to stay off central highways Thursday afternoon as massive Haredi protests and three major concerts are set to simultaneously choke traffic across the greater Tel Aviv area.
The "Jerusalem Faction," a hardline anti-draft Haredi faction, announced the demonstrations following the arrest of yeshiva students who failed to appear at IDF conscription offices. In a statement issued around midnight, the group said police had transferred 17 arrested yeshiva students to military prison, calling it "another red line crossed" and urging supporters to take to the streets Thursday in an "uncompromising struggle for the honor of Torah."
Police Traffic Division Commander Superintendent Amir Jibli warned the public directly. "We call on drivers in the Gush Dan area to avoid intercity routes as much as possible and to postpone non-urgent travel," he said, adding that officers would be deployed across major junctions and roads. Police said they would facilitate the right to protest but would not tolerate disruption of public order, harm to officers, or danger to road users.
Complicating the picture further, three major concerts are scheduled for Thursday evening: singer Omer Adam at Ramat Gan Stadium, Eyal Golan at Bloomfield Stadium, and Ben Tzur at the Moshava Stadium in Petah Tikva.
Major congestion is expected on Highway 4, the Geha Interchange, Ayalon Highway, Namir Road, Derech HaShalom, Jabotinsky Boulevard, and access roads to Ramat Gan, Bnei Brak, Petah Tikva, and southern Tel Aviv.
Israel Railways announced significant service reinforcements including special trains to destinations across the country, extended routes, and heightened readiness at the Bnei Brak and Petah Tikva Kiryat Arye stations. Earlier reports indicated the Faction instructed protesters explicitly not to disrupt train traffic, suggesting they intend to use the rail network to move large numbers of demonstrators rapidly to protest sites across the country.