‘Make the earth shake’: Haredi protesters don yellow stars, block roads after draft evader’s arrest

Haredi protesters from the extremist Jerusalem Faction blocked major roads in central Israel on Wednesday, causing traffic disruptions, in response to the arrest of a draft-evading yeshiva student. The protest was the first in several weeks, with hundreds expected after the faction called to 'make the earth shake.' The detained man was arrested on Tuesday while exiting a police station after questioning on an unrelated matter; military police transferred him to a military prison. Protesters, including children, wore yellow stars with 'Haredi' and held signs comparing conscription to the Holocaust. Police declared the demonstration illegal and warned of dispersal. The arrest angered the community as a betrayal of an agreement with police not to arrest draft evaders visiting stations. MK Moshe Abutbul of Shas asked police chief Danny Levy to investigate. Police denied violating the agreement, saying the student was summoned for questioning over a driver's license forgery scheme.

Haredi protesters from the extremist Jerusalem Faction blocked major roads in central Israel on Wednesday, causing significant traffic disruptions, in response to the arrest of a draft-evading yeshiva student. The protest was the first in several weeks, with hundreds expected after the faction called to 'make the earth shake.' The detained man was arrested on Tuesday while exiting a police station after questioning on an unrelated matter; a military police vehicle transferred him to a military prison. Police blocked roads in Bnei Brak, including Jabotinsky Road and Route 4. Protesters, including children, sat in the middle of Route 4, some wearing yellow stars with 'Haredi' to compare their plight to Holocaust victims. One sign read, 'It was better to die as a Jew in the Holocaust than to spiritually die in IDF camps.' Chants of 'we will die rather than enlist' filled the air. Police declared the demonstration illegal and warned of dispersal. South of the interchange, men and boys surrounded a Haredi soldier, jeering and chanting 'the neighborhood fuck-up,' and officers escorted him away. The arrest angered the community as a betrayal of an agreement with police not to arrest draft evaders visiting stations. MK Moshe Abutbul of Shas asked police chief Danny Levy to investigate. Police denied violating the agreement, saying the student was summoned for questioning over a driver's license forgery scheme. The exemptions were struck down in court in 2024, and tens of thousands of Haredi men are eligible for service but ignore conscription orders.