Deserter or system error: a high-profile scandal at Ben-Gurion

19-year-old Leah Fardella, an Arab Christian and Polish citizen, was detained at Ben-Gurion Airport by military police on charges of evading IDF conscription. The girl, a permanent resident of East Jerusalem, does not speak Hebrew and, according to her family, never received summons. The scandal arises because Defense Ministry policy typically does not conscript permanent residents of East Jerusalem without Israeli citizenship.

19-year-old Leah Fardella, an Arab Christian and Polish citizen, was detained at Ben-Gurion Airport just before boarding a flight. Military police officers accused her of willfully evading mandatory service in the IDF and took her to a military prison. The girl is a permanent resident of East Jerusalem, does not hold an Israeli passport, grew up in a closed community, attended an American school, and speaks virtually no Hebrew. The family claims they never received summons; the mother suggests that notices may have been sent to an old address in Petah Tikva, where they lived 14 years ago. The lawyer has not yet gained access to the client. Under Israeli law, permanent residents are required to serve, but in practice, the Defense Ministry and IDF usually do not conscript residents of East Jerusalem without citizenship, making the situation absurd. The army press service reported that the situation is under review.