Over 60 Draft Evaders Arrested at Border Crossings En Route to Uman
Over 60 draft evaders, many ultra-Orthodox travelers heading to Uman, were arrested at Israeli border crossings, creating severe community tension.
More than 60 draft evaders and deserters have been arrested since Sunday at Israel's border crossings, many of them ultra-Orthodox individuals attempting to travel to Uman, Ukraine, for Rosh Hashanah. Most of the arrests were carried out at Ben Gurion Airport, with additional detentions recorded at the Taba border crossing with Egypt.
The Israel Defense Forces confirmed that dozens of draft dodgers were detained over recent days, though officials did not provide a precise breakdown of the detained individuals. According to the military, enforcement is conducted routinely in coordination with the Population and Immigration Authority, and readiness measures are continuously adapted to ongoing security assessments.
Every year, tens of thousands of Breslov Hasidim travel to Uman to pray at the gravesite of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov. This year, amid heightened military enforcement against draft evasion, the annual pilgrimage has turned into a point of acute tension within the community, as young men face potential arrest at the borders.
Senior Breslov rabbis urged individuals at risk of arrest to avoid heading to Ben Gurion Airport or attempting to regularize their status solely for the sake of the flight. Meanwhile, an unofficial community initiative emerged to organize Rosh Hashanah prayers near military prisons if travel remains blocked, aiming to exert public and operational pressure on the IDF.
Military Police operations are conducted jointly with the Population and Immigration Authority. Individuals who have evaded service for extended periods are typically brought before a military court judge, and some are subsequently imprisoned. The IDF has not disclosed how many of the detained individuals were transferred to military detention facilities.
