Liberman vows to act against anti-draft Haredi seminaries

Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman plans to take action against two ultra-Orthodox seminaries after some of their students took part in violent protests against the detention of a draft-dodging member of their community, his office says.

Liberman orders his ministry to reconsider the automatic draft deferral granted to students of the Ma’alot HaTorah Yeshiva in Jerusalem and the Grudna Yeshiva in Ashdod, which are both led by Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach, a staunch anti-draft campaigner.

The defense minister also asks MK Oded Forer to “work with relevant government ministries to stop the funding of those yeshivas,” his office says.

On Monday night and Tuesday morning, dozens of ultra-Orthodox protesters were arrested for taking part in violent protests in various cities, which included lighting dumpsters on fire to block traffic and throwing rocks at police officers, according to police.

“Minister Liberman says he will never, under any circumstances, ignore these riots and the severe incitement that occurred during them against IDF soldiers,” his office says in a statement.

— Judah Ari Gross