Six Haredi Draft Evaders Caught at Ben Gurion Airport Trying to Flee Israel
Six Haredi draft evaders were caught at Ben Gurion Airport trying to flee Israel for Uman, Ukraine, for Rosh Hashanah celebrations.
Jerusalem, 2 September, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Six draft evaders were caught at Ben Gurion Airport after attempting to leave the country illegally, the Israel Airports Authority reported Wednesday morning. Two were caught at Terminal 1 and four at Terminal 3.
The six Haredi men were on their way to the city of Uman in Ukraine, to celebrate Rosh Hashanah near the gravesite of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov. They were handed over instead to the Population and Immigration Authority, which found that they had outstanding military draft orders barring them from leaving the country.
The Israel Airports Authority is preparing for more than 3 million passengers to pass through the country’s border crossings during the upcoming holiday season. Special flights to Uman are scheduled to begin next Sunday. On peak days, Ben Gurion Airport is expected to handle around 100,000 passengers on 600 daily flights.