Jerusalem, 20 October, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s planned roundup of Haredi draft evaders has been postponed amid a dispute between the Israel Police and the Israel Defense Forces over security arrangements for the arrests.
According to Israeli media reports, police demanded that the IDF allocate hundreds of soldiers to support the operation. The Deputy Attorney General ruled that police could not condition their participation on receiving military reinforcements and called for a framework to enable the arrests by November 1.
The IDF maintains that the military is responsible for arresting draft evaders, while police are responsible for maintaining public order and dispersing disturbances.
Over the past three months, 14 draft evaders were arrested during routine encounters with police, while another 143 were detained and subsequently released.
Meanwhile, dozens of protesters blocked Hebron Road in Jerusalem on Tuesday following an attempted arrest of a Haredi draft evader. Clashes continued after the suspect had been released.
