IDF chief ‘strongly condemns’ Haredi protest outside home of military prison chief of security

The IDF says several rioters arrived last night at the private home of a noncommissioned officer serving as chief of security of the Beit Lid military prison, where they demonstrated and vandalized the area outside the building.

Ultra-Orthodox protesters gathered outside the officer’s home in the northern town of Kiryat Ata to protest efforts to draft Haredi men into military service, after three ultra-Orthodox men were arrested earlier in the day for draft evasion and taken to the prison, Hebrew media reports.

In a statement, the military calls the incident “serious and unacceptable,” saying IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir “strongly condemns” any attempt to harm or intimidate service members carrying out their duties.

The IDF says it expects law enforcement authorities to “act decisively” against those involved.