From the Liveblog of
Sunday, May 31, 2026
Hardline Haredi group postpones anti-draft rallies, claims IDF set to release detained evaders
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleSam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
The Jerusalem Faction announces that it is postponing today’s planned anti-conscription demonstrations in Jerusalem and Bnei Brak following contacts with the IDF aimed at securing the release of incarcerated draft evaders.
“In light of significant developments in contacts with the military authorities, and following serious and advanced negotiations taking place in recent hours regarding the release of a large number of yeshiva students and avrechim (married yeshiva students) from military prison, it has been decided to postpone the planned protests by 24 hours,” the hardline Haredi group says in a statement.
“If sufficient breakthroughs are not achieved, the protest actions will resume at full strength,” it adds, insisting that “this is not a trick or a deception.”
The Jerusalem Faction does not clarify who is negotiating with the military. Spokespeople for the IDF as well as the ultra-Orthodox Degel HaTorah party do not immediately respond to requests for comment. A senior member of Agudat Yisrael says his party is not currently involved in the matter — despite the fact that Deputy Minister Yisrael Eichler was involved in efforts to free arrested Haredim late last week.
According to the Jerusalem Faction, six yeshiva students were arrested for draft evasion on Friday, three of whom were later freed, while the authorities attempted to arrest a seventh near Kiryat Ye’arim around 3:40 a.m. this morning.
The Times of Israel Community.