In a dramatic and unprecedented move, the IDF announced on Sunday that it will begin implementing a new and severe enforcement plan against Chareidi draft dodgers. The new plan is taking place in parallel with the issuance of 54,000 conscription orders to bnei yeshivos beginning on Tuesday. As part of the plan, the IDF will deploy new roadblocks at border crossings, at entrances to Chareidi cities, and even on main roads, at checkpoints in Yehudah and Shomron, on the way to Eilat, and at entrances to Chareidi population centers. In addition, the military police will be bolstered, and Border Police companies will be deployed to prepare for expected riots. The enforcement plan includes a dramatic shortening of the procedures for declaring draft dodgers so that within just two months, anyone who does not report to the conscription office will be declared a draft dodger and will be exposed to enforcement and arrests. The IDF estimates that within a year, the number of those defined as draft dodgers will jump to about 34,000—the vast majority from the Chareidi community. However, enforcement will be carried out only up to the very limited prison space currently available to the IDF—a total of about 250-300 prison spaces on average. The limited space will not allow for mass arrests of hundreds of draft dodgers. Shas leader Aryeh Deri and UTJ leader Moshe Gafni have both publicly stated that they will immediately resign from the government as soon as one ben yeshivah is arrested (not at Ben Gurion Airport). As reported earlier today, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s flight to Washington, where he is scheduled to meet with US President Trump on Monday, was delayed by several hours due to the Chareidi ultimatum to see progress on the conscription issue before the flight. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)