IDF uploads, then deletes, AI video telling Haredi draft dodgers how to avoid being stopped from leaving Israel

Shortly before an annual pilgrimage of religious Jewish men to the Ukrainian city of Uman for Rosh Hashanah, the Israeli military published a video explaining to Haredi draft dodgers how to evade being denied permission to leave the country.

The AI-generated video was posted to the official Instagram account of the Personnel Directorate’s Haredi branch last night, before being removed following media reports about it.

In the video, a visibly Orthodox AI soldier, named “Dudi the explainer,” says that Haredi men who have not completed their recruitment process — before being officially declared a draft evader — will be stopped at Ben Gurion Airport and not be allowed to leave the country.

“This story also has another ending: a brief appearance at the recruitment office with the medical documents — and this order is behind you. Don’t get stuck at the gate,” the AI soldier says.

The Instagram post’s caption told Haredi draft dodgers that they “can continue as usual” after showing up to the recruitment office.

In response, the military says that the video was removed as it “does not reflect the IDF’s activity regarding the process of regularizing [recruitment] status.”

“At the same time, the original purpose of the video was to explain to relevant prospective recruits the process of regularizing their status, whose purpose is recruitment and service in the IDF, and at the end of which restrictions applying to the prospective recruit are also removed,” the military says.

The military adds that the video had also been uploaded in violation of IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin’s directive on “the uploading of content during the election period,” referring to an order he gave last month which instructed all units — aside from the Spokespersons Unit — to halt social media posts until after the October elections.

“The case will be investigated,” the army adds.

שימו לב לסיפור הבא:

זמן קצר לפני הנסיעות ההמוניות לאומן בראש השנה: צה״ל מסביר בסרטון לאוכלוסיה החרדית כיצד ניתן להתחמק מצו עיכוב יציאה מהארץ למשתמטים בנתב״ג

הנה סרטון שעלה לפני זמן קצר לעמוד האינסטגרם הרשמי של צה״ל לציבור החרדי – haredim.idf, והוא מסביר כיצד ניתן להימנע ממעצר… pic.twitter.com/3ff1Zy0XCo

— דורון קדוש | Doron Kadosh (@Doron_Kadosh) August 26, 2026