Just waiting at Ben Gurion: Deserters are not arrested - and everyone is flipping off the High Court

The IDF has almost completely stopped proactive arrests of Haredi deserters in Haredi concentrations, despite the High Court's directive to enforce equal conscription. The military attributes the halt to the police, who do not allocate personnel for arrests due to fear of public order disturbances. In practice, deserters are arrested almost only at Ben Gurion Airport and border crossings. Meanwhile, the IDF identifies an increase in Haredi requests for psychiatric exemptions.

The IDF has almost completely stopped proactive arrest operations of Haredi deserters in Haredi concentrations, despite the High Court's directive to enforce the conscription duty equally. In practice, deserters are arrested almost only at Ben Gurion Airport and border crossings, such as those returning from the grave of Rabbi Nachman in Uman. The military attributes the halt to the police, who they claim do not allocate sufficient personnel to accompany arrests due to fear of widespread public order disturbances. The Attorney General's response to the High Court noted the significant difficulty in carrying out proactive arrests amid the disturbances. A military source said there is no cooperation with the police, unlike at Ben Gurion. Meanwhile, the IDF identifies an increase in requests from Haredi draft evaders for psychiatric exemptions, with suspicion that psychiatrists are helping to formulate opinions even for those who do not meet the criteria. The IDF has approached the Ministry of Health and the police to consider opening an investigation.