The Military Police launched a week-long operation on Wednesday to crack down on the IDF’s 2,700 deserters and 1,800 draft dodgers.
Because of these figures, published by the IDF’s Manpower Division on Wednesday, Military Police chief Brig. Gen. Moshe Ohana began an arrest operation to rein in desertion. Thus far the Military Police have arrested 200 of the 2,700 deserters, 70% of whom are expected to be handed indictments.
A senior officer in the Military Police said that aside from two incidents in which military officers met violent resistance, arrests were carried out quietly. The oldest prisoner is 40, and deserted the military over 20 years ago.
The Manpower Division report also showed that a quarter of Israeli men and half of Israeli women did not enlist for military service. The dropout statistics did not include the 18-year-olds, predominantly ultra-Orthodox, who were granted an exemption for Torah study.
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