Temporary passports, military prison, and tailgating at the border: How Haredi draft dodgers manage to reach Uman
A Kan News investigation reveals methods used by Haredi draft dodgers to bypass exit prevention orders and reach Uman, Ukraine, ahead of Rosh Hashanah. Among the methods: exploiting the temporary passport issuance process at Ben Gurion Airport, voluntarily turning themselves in to military prison to have the exit order removed, and tailgating authorized passengers through automatic gates. Alongside those who succeed, many are arrested.
A Kan News investigation, published in the evening edition (Tuesday, September 8), reveals methods used by Haredi draft dodgers to bypass exit prevention orders and reach Uman, Ukraine, ahead of Rosh Hashanah. According to data, over 90,000 Haredim are currently defined as draft dodgers and are subject to exit prevention orders. Official procedure dictates that upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport or a border crossing, the system should identify them and summon military police. However, testimonies collected indicate that some draft dodgers manage to circumvent enforcement mechanisms. The first method: exploiting the temporary passport issuance process at Ben Gurion Airport. A Haredi fixer claimed that a photo could be forged without anyone noticing. Another method: using a brother's passport who is not defined as a draft dodger. Another approach, taken by dozens of Breslov Hasidim, is voluntarily turning themselves in to military prison. After several days of detention, they are released with a new enlistment date, and the exit prevention order is removed. The phenomenon has become so widespread that some had difficulty turning themselves in due to overcrowding. Additional methods include tailgating an authorized person through automatic gates and attempting to exit via the Taba crossing into Sinai. Alongside those who succeed and post videos from Uman, many others have been arrested. The investigation paints a picture of a cat-and-mouse game against enforcement mechanisms.