East Jerusalem Teen Arrested at Ben Gurion Airport Over Alleged IDF Desertion
A 19-year-old Christian permanent resident of East Jerusalem was arrested at Ben Gurion Airport by the Military Police on suspicion of being an IDF deserter, shocking her family.
A 19-year-old permanent resident of Israel growing up in East Jerusalem was arrested at Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday by the Military Police on suspicion of being an IDF deserter.
Lia Pardalla, a Christian resident who holds Polish citizenship and lives in the Beit Hanina neighborhood, was detained while trying to travel abroad with her family for her first-ever vacation.
Arrest at Ben Gurion Airport
"They simply pulled her out of the line in front of her little sister and took her in a patrol car to prison," said her mother, Gabriel. "I tried to explain that there was a terrible mistake, but they would not let me explain. I begged them to understand."
Gabriel explained that her daughter grew up in East Jerusalem in an Arab-Christian family, attended an American school, and does not speak Hebrew at all. The mother noted that the family lived in Petah Tikva 14 years ago, suggesting draft notices might have been sent there and never received.
"It's simply a horror movie that a girl is sitting there without having done anything. She is not to blame because she could not know, as she and her entire family never received orders," said the mother.
IDF Conscription Rules for Residents
Under Israel's Defense Service Law, permanent residents over the age of 18 are technically obligated to serve in the IDF. However, East Jerusalem permanent residents without citizenship are rarely issued draft orders due to policy considerations by the IDF and the Ministry of Defense.
The family's attorney has not yet been allowed to contact Lia. The IDF has not yet responded to requests for comment.
