Dozens of yeshiva students were detained at Ben-Gurion Airport for evading IDF service, as the military intensifies its nationwide campaign against draft dodgers ahead of the High Holidays.
A wave of arrests at Ben-Gurion Airport last night has brought the number of detained yeshiva students accused of dodging IDF service to 70 since the start of the week.
The students, many of whom were attempting to travel abroad for the High Holidays — including pilgrimages to Uman and visits to the Chabad center in New York — were intercepted as part of a major IDF crackdown.
According to reports, the military police operation includes:
- Use of checkpoints at airports and in major cities.
- A draft-dodger database used to identify and track those evading service.
- Arrests not only of unmarried yeshiva students but also of married students in several cities.
The haredi community reacted with fury, branding the campaign “religious persecution” and demanding the immediate release of all detainees before the holidays. Activists claim that some students were unaware of orders against them, while others had been told by legal advisors they were cleared to travel.
This confrontation highlights one of Israel’s most explosive debates: the haredi draft exemption crisis. With the IDF stretched thin by ongoing conflict, public support for equalizing the burden of service has grown, while haredi leaders insist that Torah study is itself a vital service to the Jewish people and the State of Israel.
For now, the arrests at Israel’s main gateway airport send a clear message: the IDF is serious about enforcement, and the draft-dodging issue is reaching a breaking point just as the High Holidays approach.
