Hardline political organization Peleg Yerushalmi has called on individuals who received IDF draft notices and did not report for enlistment to attend a protest scheduled for Thursday, where participants will have the opportunity to enter a raffle with a prize of up to NIS 15,000.
The protest follows the arrest earlier this week of two yeshiva students who did not report for military service. According to police, the demonstration has been approved and coordinated in advance.
A flyer distributed ahead of the protest invites eligible participants to bring their draft notices and register at the event to enter the raffle. Several cash prizes will be awarded, including a top prize of NIS 15,000.
Additional demonstrations are expected to take place, including gatherings organized by disabled IDF veterans and by left-wing groups.
Police announced that security forces will be deployed across the country based on intelligence assessments. Efforts will mainly be focused on maintaining public order and preventing the blocking of major roads — particularly in Jerusalem and along Route 4 near Petah Tikva and Bnei Brak.
Why is there a protest?
The leaders of the global haredi community on Wednesday held an emergency consultation meeting at the home of leading haredi figure Rabbi Dov Landau, following the arrest of two yeshiva students for draft dodging.
In the meeting, leaders discussed “ways to respond following the arrest of the yeshiva students, with the goal of formulating a consensus reaction among all sects and communities.
“As is known, Rabbi Landau warned last week in his speech at the Council of Yeshivas conference that if the State of Israel declares war on Torah scholars, the entire Haredi Jewish world will mobilize for a fight," the Haredi community said in a statement.
"The State of Israel has declared war on Torah scholars. The Haredi community will launch a global battle like no other.”
The IDF military court arrested the two Haredi brothers, Rafael and Baruch Yitzhakov, of the “Meorot HaTorah” yeshiva in Kiryat Ye’arim, on Tuesday night and sentenced them to 17 and 13 days in detention, respectively.