The Israeli military said it made 15 targeted attempts to arrest deserters and draft evaders in September, with eight arrests. The clarification followed contradictory statements about Military Police activity in Modi'in.
The Israel Defense Forces said it made 15 targeted attempts to arrest deserters and draft evaders in September, resulting in eight arrests. The clarification came after a military spokesperson first said the IDF had not carried out proactive arrests and later confirmed that such operations had taken place.
The IDF estimates that about 80,000 people are listed as draft evaders or deserters, most of them from the ultra-Orthodox community. The military said it reinforced patrol teams and preparations at border crossings during the Jewish autumn holidays. It reported more than 200 targeted arrests at crossings during the holiday period; many involved ultra-Orthodox pilgrims heading to Uman who were later released.
A separate dispute concerns a nighttime operation in Modi'in, where Military Police tried to arrest a draft evader at his parents’ home. Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox residents gathered and surrounded the officers; reports also say some tried to enter the building. Police said the small Military Police team remained at the scene, and reinforcements were requested only after the crowd began to assemble.
The police and military accounts differ over how the operation ended. Police blamed the military and said the order to release the suspect came from the IDF. Ynet’s initial account said the draft evader was ultimately not arrested, while its account of the police review said he had been detained but the soldiers did not remove him promptly. The circumstances of his status when the operation ended therefore remain unclear.
The IDF said Military Police operations were coordinated with Israel Police and that enforcement would continue. Police are investigating the nighttime events. A resident quoted by Ynet said neighbors were frightened as the crowd surrounded the building.