Thousands march in Jerusalem to fete Haredi draft dodgers; cash grants promised

Thousands of ultra-Orthodox men marched through Jerusalem on Tuesday evening in support of Haredi draft dodgers recently released from military prison, with organizers reportedly promising cash payments to those who served time for failing to enlist in the Israel Defense Forces.

The procession began in Jerusalem’s Geula neighborhood and drew several thousand people, according to Hebrew media reports. Numerous streets in the area were closed as participants gathered to welcome the draft evaders.

Channel 12 news reported that around 100 former military prisoners were invited to take part, about 50 of whom attended. The network said each was expected to receive several hundred shekels. Ynet put the promised payment at around NIS 1,000 ($310) per person and reported that the money came from abroad.

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The news site also said that children attending the event were given gift bags bearing a message praising the jailed draft dodgers for having served time in military prison for what organizers described as their adherence to Judaism.

Some marchers displayed signs comparing Haredi draft dodgers imprisoned by the military to hostages. One sign called for the release of “the hostages from Prison 10” and declared that they would never serve in what it termed the “enemy army.” Other participants carried signs declaring they would not sacrifice their children “on the alter of Zionism.”

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The procession was organized by hardline Haredi anti-draft groups, including the Jerusalem Faction and other anti-conscription activists, which said they opposed violence and hoped the event would pass peacefully. The march was coordinated with police, though Channel 12 said officers were not deployed among the participants.

There were no reports of arrests.

The march, coming less than a month before the October 27 general election, drew criticism from opposition politicians. Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot said the vote would pit what he called a “government of draft evasion” against a government committed to military enlistment, arguing that Israel could not afford another to continue with the status quo.

Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman also criticized the event, comparing the reception for the released draft dodgers to the welcome given to troops returning after years of fighting in Gaza. He accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of depending politically on parties opposed to Haredi conscription. Democrats leader Yair Golan separately condemned signs describing the IDF as the “enemy army.”

Tuesday’s Jerusalem demonstration came two days after hundreds of Haredim marched through Bnei Brak to honor 160 ultra-Orthodox draft dodgers released from military prison. That event was organized by Color Black, a newly registered Haredi political party that has made securing military-service exemptions for ultra-Orthodox men the central issue of its platform.

The Bnei Brak gathering was initially presented as a homecoming rather than a political event, but organizers announced once it began that it was also the launch of Color Black. Many of those honored had been arrested at Ben Gurion Airport or other border crossings while traveling to or returning from the annual Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage to Uman, Ukraine. News crews covering the event said groups of participants attacked them and forced some teams to leave.

The two processions come amid an ongoing dispute over enforcement against Haredi draft evaders. Hebrew media reported last week that the IDF and Israel Police had effectively stopped proactive arrest operations following months of disruptive anti-draft protests. Police sources blamed the military for suspending the operations, while the IDF maintained that Military Police continued making arrests at border crossings and in cooperation with police.

The Attorney General’s Office said in August that ultra-Orthodox men constituted more than 80 percent of Israel’s draft evaders despite Haredim comprising only around 14% of the population, and called on authorities to step up enforcement, including through arrests.

The High Court of Justice has repeatedly pressed the government to enforce Haredi enlistment following its 2024 ruling that there was no longer a legal basis for blanket exemptions for yeshiva students. In July, the court froze legislation passed by the coalition that would have barred the arrest of Haredi draft dodgers for seven months while challenges to the law were considered.

Ultra-Orthodox leaders argue that compulsory military service threatens their religious way of life and the continuation of full-time Torah study. The issue has remained a major source of political and social tension amid the IDF’s manpower needs and resentment among Israelis who perform mandatory and reserve service, and has emerged as a central issue ahead of the October election.

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