Chareidi demonstrators gathered on Monday outside the Tel Hashomer induction center to protest against the IDF’s efforts to enlist members of the chareidi community.
Footage shows activists sitting across the roadway, obstructing traffic, until police intervened and forcibly removed them.
The police issued a statement labeling the gathering “illegal,” although they emphasized that they “view the right to protest as a cornerstone of a democratic state and allow demonstrations as long as they are conducted within the law.”
They added, “However, the police will not allow any disturbances of public order, violations of freedom of movement, or behavior that may endanger public safety.”
Monday’s enlistment efforts were part of a special chareidi-focused day at Tel Hashomer, with the IDF attempting to draft two new companies into the Hashmonaim Brigade.
One company is set to include new draftees entering regular service, while the second will consist of reservists.
The army explained that this recruitment drive aims to offer chareidim opportunities within military service that accommodate their religious practices and lifestyle.
According to the military, the initiative will create an environment that allows soldiers to combine serious Torah learning with military responsibilities, enabling them to protect Israel while preserving their religious way of life.
Among those present to show support for the drafting of chareidim was Religious Zionist Party member Zvi Sukkot, who said, “They came to enlist and give their lives, and there are people here to humiliate and curse them.”
“I stand here on behalf of the majority of the Jewish people in the face of the disgrace that they are facing here. Shame!” Sukkot added.
Although approximately 10,000 draft notices were issued in the past two months, KAN reported that only 994 chareidim responded by presenting themselves at draft offices. Additionally, 2,491 are currently wanted on arrest warrants for failing to report, with travel bans placed against them to prevent them from leaving the country.
Nevertheless, these latest figures show some improvement compared to the previous three months, when only 367 chareidim complied with draft orders out of 7,014 notices sent, while authorities issued 2,473 arrest warrants and placed 446 travel restrictions.
Brigadier-General Shay Taib, head of the IDF Personnel Planning Branch, told Army Radio, “I would be happy if there was support from the other side [the wider chareidi community], but, unfortunately, we have yet to see any change.” He added, “We proposed imposing sanctions that affect the individual draft dodgers in their daily lives.”
On Sunday, the High Court of Justice issued a conditional order giving the government and military until June 24 to explain why more chareidim have not been summoned to enlist and why no penalties have yet been enforced against those who evade the draft.
This court action comes at a time when Israel remains embroiled in a drawn-out war, with reservists stretched thin and facing exhaustion after a year and a half of nonstop mobilization and danger.
Government officials have set a target to enlist 4,800 chareidim annually, a figure they plan to increase significantly in the coming years.
The IDF has been tasked with creating specialized pathways for chareidi soldiers to serve in sectors such as the Air Force, Intelligence Corps, and front-line units. Building the frameworks will fall to the military, but supplying the manpower will be the responsibility of the chareidi community.
{Matzav.com Israel}