From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
13 more Haredi draft dodgers arrested at airport promise to enlist, says IDF
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
The 13 ultra-Orthodox male draft evaders who initially refused to enlist after being apprehended at Ben Gurion Airport this morning as they landed in Israel have signed affidavits expressing their willingness to draft, the military says.
They join 27 other draft evaders who were released home earlier today after signing the agreement committing to enlist before a judge.
The IDF says this means that 40 ultra-Orthodox men will be enlisting in the military “in the coming period and be assigned to the various Haredi service tracks.”
The 40 all received suspended jail sentences.
Two other Haredi men who were also detained at the airport this morning were immediately jailed, as they had been evading army service for an extended period.
The Times of Israel Community.