Order to arrest draft dodgers constitutes persecution of Torah students, claims Goldknopf

By Sam Sokol 18 May 2026, 6:35 pm

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Sam 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 Yitzchak Goldknopf, who chairs the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party, attends a committee meeting at the Knesset, February 12, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Israel Police Commissioner Danny Levy’s order for police officers to detain draft dodgers “is a populist and dangerous step, constituting a severe blow to Torah scholars,” declares United Torah Judaism chairman Yitzhak Goldknopf.

“At a time when the State of Israel is dealing with a sharp increase in crime and a decline in personal security, it seems that the Israel Police is choosing to become a political tool and direct its resources to persecuting yeshiva students, instead of returning governance to the streets,” Goldknopf alleges in a statement.

Railing against the “irresponsible” move, the Hasidic politician argues that “no forceful policy or enforcement procedures on the ground will discourage us and Torah scholars will continue to sustain the world through their study.”