3 arrested at ultra-Orthodox rally in Jerusalem against draft

Police on Monday arrested at least three ultra-Orthodox men suspected of attacking officers at a protest in the Mea Shearim neighborhood of the capital.

Dozens of ultra-Orthodox Israelis demonstrated against the mandatory draft Monday in Jerusalem, throwing rocks at police officers at the scene, according to police.

No policemen were injured.

Monday’s protests came in response to an ultra-Orthodox 18-year-old woman’s arrest last week and forced enlistment into the IDF after she failed to respond to draft notices.

According to Hebrew media reports, the woman, identified only as L., was arrested in her home in the Haredi city of Elad overnight Wednesday by several soldiers, after she did not show up at the induction center to apply for an army exemption. After appearing before a military tribunal, which said she could get an exemption on religious grounds, she was sent home, in army uniform, and ordered to return to complete the enlistment process.

L. then fled, and was said to be hiding out. The ultra-Orthodox leaders voiced outrage over the incident.

The IDF said Monday that the woman had been given an exemption.

The recent expansion of Israel’s universal enlistment to incorporate more ultra-Orthodox draftees has been met with protests by the religious community, as well as harassment of Haredi soldiers in uniform.

After a spate of attacks on ultra-Orthodox soldiers by members of their own communities, the head of the IDF’s manpower division sent a letter to Haredi servicemen in which he urged them not to be deterred by threats and intimidation, Channel 2 reported on Monday.

“The IDF intends to make every effort to bring radicals who harm and threaten you to justice,” Maj. Gen. Hagai Topolansky wrote.