Criminal10/15/2026

Operation to Arrest Draft-Dodging Yeshiva Students Canceled Due to Dispute Between Authorities

An operation planned to last several days to arrest draft-dodging yeshiva students will not take place. The Israel Defense Forces and Israel Police traded blame over the shortage of required personnel and the lack of coordination.

Key facts

•The operation was supposed to last several days
•The operation was scheduled to begin next week
•Responsible bodies: the Israel Defense Forces and the Military Police
•Israel Police states that its role is supportive
•Two protesters were arrested in Bnei Brak
•No case number or judicial decision was mentioned

What Happened

The police informed the Israel Defense Forces that the operation, which was scheduled to begin next week, had been canceled. According to a source, the military planned to arrest yeshiva students considered draft dodgers. The report did not provide the exact publication date or a new date for carrying out the operation.

What Is the Dispute Between the Israel Defense Forces and the Police?

Israel Defense Forces representatives claim that the police demanded the assignment of an “enormous” number of soldiers to handle possible disturbances, even though maintaining public order among civilians in public spaces falls under police authority. The police respond that arrests of draft dodgers are led by the Israel Defense Forces and the Military Police, while the civilian police play only a supporting role. They maintain that the military must provide sufficient forces to carry out the arrests themselves, after which the police will join in tasks falling within their area of responsibility.

The Attorney General’s Role

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has demanded in recent months that the Israel Defense Forces resume operations to arrest draft dodgers. The military had previously acknowledged that it suspended arrests of this kind because of the sensitivity of the holiday period. Several months before that, the attorney general had also instructed the police to support the military in similar operations.

Why Are Reinforcements Needed?

The dispute over security arrangements arose against the backdrop of disturbances that accompanied attempts to arrest Haredi draft dodgers. The source cites failed arrest attempts in Bat Yam, Dimona, and Modi'in, as well as clashes in Bnei Brak during which two protesters were arrested. Because of the disputes between the authorities, they have so far been unable to establish effective operational coordination.

What this means for you

The operation's cancellation does not revoke the obligation to report for military service or draft-dodger status; the source indicates only that a specific operation was halted. For citizens in a similar situation, this shows that actually carrying out arrests depends on coordination among the Israel Defense Forces, the Military Police, and Israel Police, but the requirements of the conscription authorities themselves have not been canceled.

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