Israel detains 40 ultra-Orthodox men accused of draft dodging

At least 40 ultra-Orthodox Jewish men were arrested upon arriving at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport on suspicion of attempting to evade the country’s military draft, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

The mass-arrest by military police occurred as the individuals passed through Ben Gurion Airport’s border crossing, with the IDF stating the detainees are subject to mandatory military service and will be tried under the law.

The incident marks an unusually large operation related to draft evasion amid a broader national debate over whether ultra-Orthodox citizens should serve in the military.

The arrests come in the context of a 2024 Supreme Court ruling and ongoing political debate about formalizing an exemption for the ultra-Orthodox, amid wider discussions of equality of service in Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who relies on ultra-Orthodox party support, publicly criticized the arrests in a radio interview, saying the actions might hinder enlistment efforts without coercion.