# 42 Ultra-Orthodox Men Held at Ben Gurion Airport Over Draft Evasion as Netanyahu Objects

> Military Police detained the group as they returned from a year of yeshiva study in New York; most ultimately signed enlistment agreements, but the prime minister called the operation an attempt to sabotage voluntary Haredi recruitment.

- Source: Israel Politics Post
- Canonical URL: https://israelpoliticspost.com/article/haredi-draft-dodgers-arrested-ben-gurion-airport
- Author: Israel Politics Post Staff
- Section: Coalition Politics
- Published: 2026-10-21T09:40:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-21T09:40:00.000Z
- Tags: Haredi draft, ultra-Orthodox, conscription, 2026 election

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Israeli Military Police arrested 42 ultra-Orthodox men at Ben Gurion Airport on October 20 as they returned from a year of religious study in New York, accusing them of evading military service, according to a report by The Times of Israel. The men, members of the Chabad-Lubavitch community, had received enlistment orders before leaving the country.

Of those detained, 27 agreed on the spot to sign enlistment papers and were released, while the remaining 13 initially refused and were sent to military prison; those 13 later signed affidavits committing to serve and received suspended sentences. Military officials said roughly 40 of the men are expected to begin service in the coming weeks, while two who had evaded the draft for more than 540 days were sent directly to detention.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly opposed the arrests, describing them as "a deliberate attempt to harm the process of drafting Haredim without coercion" and reiterating his preference for voluntary enlistment over enforcement. Ultra-Orthodox lawmakers from United Torah Judaism and Shas went further, accusing the authorities of timing the operation to intimidate Haredi voters ahead of the October 27 election.

Opposition figures framed the episode differently. Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot said the election amounted to a choice "between a Netanyahu government of draft evasion and a Zionist enlistment government," while Reservists-Economic Party chair Yoaz Hendel said universal conscription would be a condition of his party joining any future coalition.

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Originally published by Israel Politics Post. Free to cite with attribution and a link to https://israelpoliticspost.com/article/haredi-draft-dodgers-arrested-ben-gurion-airport.