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In the ultra-Orthodox community, a rumor has begun to spread: if you decide to change your ways and enlist after a prolonged period of draft evasion, you could face up to two weeks in prison.
"There’s a misunderstanding of the system," Akiva, a young man from Bnei Brak, told Ynet. "Even if the law requires this detention as punishment for not reporting to the recruitment office until now, it puts us in a complicated situation with our families. Some of us want to enlist in a way that our families won’t know about it, and suddenly disappearing for several days of detention raises questions, which discourages some of us from proceeding with enlisting."
In recent weeks, nine members of the ultra-Orthodox community, classified as draft evaders, arrived at the recruitment office and expressed a willingness to enlist. In response, they were sentenced to prison terms ranging from four days to two weeks, and only afterward began the enlistment process.
This differs from the brief arrests—lasting just a few hours—of those who failed to respond to initial army summons, such as the first recruitment notice. Among those briefly detained have been dozens of ultra-Orthodox individuals. However, those wishing to enlist today, after previously being labeled as draft dodgers, are first required to report to a military prison, serve about two weeks of detention, face trial and only then begin the enlistment process.
The longer detentions apply to young men classified as "prosecutorial draft dodgers," meaning individuals who failed to respond to the first summons and subsequent warnings for over 540 days. These individuals may face charges and must be tried in a military court for their actions.
Naturally, there is a distinction between someone who fails to respond to a summons for a few weeks versus someone who ignores them for over a year and a half. Yet this difference in circumstances has led to a situation where those arrested without any intent to enlist are released the same day, while those who do wish to enlist are held in prolonged detention.
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Haredi extremists protesting recruitment
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Data obtained by the Haredi news channel L'Chatchila reveals that between March 13 and May 1, at least 44 young Haredi men were detained at Ben Gurion Airport for failing to report to the recruitment office, with arrest warrants issued against them. All detainees were released within less than 12 hours.
One of the two recent Haredi recruits shared his experience of detention with his friends. "When we arrived at the military prison, everyone assumed we were there to get an exemption, to serve a short detention and then leave," he described. "When I said I was there to be detained and then enlist, everyone was shocked—both the soldiers and the other detainees. But once they understood my intent, they were very supportive. They helped with whatever I needed and tried to make it as pleasant and easy as possible until I was released and enlisted."
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This week, Shmili Yekater, a newly enlisted Haredi man, told Ynet that he, too, had to spend 12 days in military prison before enlisting after refusing to respond to army summons in recent years. "I went to the doctor to start the process of obtaining medical approvals. We thought it would be a matter of days, but when it came up that I was a draft dodger, we realized it was more complicated," Yekater recalled.
"I actually had to report to military prison, turn myself in for draft evasion, face trial and then enlist. After Passover, I reported to prison, and finally, I reached the exciting and special moment of enlistment."
A young man from Beit Shemesh also spoke about the process he went through before deciding to enlist and his evolving attitude toward the army. "I was in a very different place in the past compared to where I am today," he said. "I went through a personal process, and I believe that my entry ticket into society should indeed be through the army."
"Anyone who is absent from military service without authorization is expected to face disciplinary action or trial in a military court, depending on the duration of their absence. Their punishment will be determined according to the circumstances of the case," an IDF statement read. "As part of the considerations taken into account when determining punishment and the course of action, the degree of motivation of the recruit to integrate into regular military service is also evaluated."