On Monday afternoon, Israeli authorities reported that Highway 4 in the vicinity of Bnei Brak was obstructed by an unauthorized demonstration, leading to road closures and traffic being rerouted.
Protest Details and Police Response
The demonstration was organized by Peleg Yerushalmi, a haredi group known for opposing mandatory military service. Police closed the highway between the Aluf Sade and Em Moshavot interchanges in both directions, diverting southbound traffic through Petah Tikva.
Political Reaction
Opposition leader Yair Lapid denounced the protest in a social media post, stating, "923 have fallen in the past two years to protect a group of draft evaders who block roads and shout 'the army is worse than death.'" He added, "There is only one possible answer: stop transferring them money and draft everyone, immediately!"
This group previously held a protest in Ashkelon on Thursday, resulting in at least eight arrests. In August, they encouraged individuals who received IDF draft notices but did not report for enlistment to attend a protest, offering a raffle with prizes up to NIS 15,000.
Background on Peleg Yerushalmi
The Peleg Yerushalmi faction adheres to a more conservative ideology than the mainstream Lithuanian Haredi community, though it is less extreme than groups like Neturei Karta. A central issue is their directive for yeshiva members not to report to IDF recruitment bureaus to obtain exemptions from military service.
Consequently, many faction members are viewed as evading recruitment, and some are occasionally arrested. The faction organizes demonstrations when members are detained and has established support organizations for these individuals.
Regarding employment, the faction maintains a conservative stance compared to mainstream groups, with male members less likely to enter the labor market. Although it was traditional in the pre-split Lithuanian community to accept government funding for educational institutions, some of the faction's institutions oppose such funding to avoid government influence on curricula.
