From the Liveblog of
Sunday, May 31, 2026
Haredi lawmaker appears to call on police to refuse to arrest draft 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"
MK Meir Porush (United Torah Judaism) appears to call on police to refuse orders to arrest yeshiva students who disobey draft orders, stating that they should “think carefully” about their actions.
In a statement, the ultra-Orthodox lawmaker accuses Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and Police Commissioner Danny Levy of working, with the backing of the High Court of Justice, “to lead to anarchy on the streets of Israel.”
Following harsh criticism from both the military and the High Court of Justice, the Israel Police announced on May 18 that Levy had issued new orders to officers to detain draft dodgers during chance encounters and wait for the Military Police to pick them up.
“The thought that pursuing avreichim and yeshiva students in the streets will lead to the surrender of the Torah world is completely blind to the history of the Jewish people over thousands of years of persecution,” says Porush in a statement, arguing that “responsibility for the serious consequences of this conduct will lie with all those who cooperate with these moves.”
“From here, I call upon the police officers: Remember, you are being asked to arrest Jews because they study Torah,” Porush continues. “Think very, very carefully about your actions.”
A 2025 Times of Israel investigation found that a telephone hotline linked to Porush, then a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet, was counseling callers to “just ignore” summonses to the IDF’s recruitment bureau.
Under Israeli law, someone inciting others to evade service during wartime is liable to a prison term of 15 years.
The Times of Israel Community.