Haredi protesters clash with police, block major road after suspected draft dodgers arrested

Dozens of ultra-Orthodox anti-draft demonstrators are clashing with police and blocking Route 4 near the Haredi city of Bnei Brak to protest the arrest of two suspected draft evaders last night.

Police have declared the demonstration illegal.

Footage from the protest site shows a crowd of young men sitting in front of cars on the major highway as a police officer yells at them through a megaphone, demanding they clear the road.

Border Police are also deployed to the scene. Officers are directing drivers to alternate routes as the highway remains blocked.

The Jerusalem Faction, an ultra-Orthodox group known for organizing stormy demonstrations against Haredi conscription, announced that a similar protest is set to take place in southern Israel.

Haredi anti-draft demonstrators block traffic on Route 4, near Bnei Brak, as a police officer demands they disperse on February 9, 2026. (Israel Police)