Israel Police Commissioner Danny Levy issued a new directive Monday ordering police officers who encounter draft dodgers during routine activity to detain them, notify the Military Police, and remain with the suspect until military authorities arrive.

Under the new policy, a strict time frame was established for handling such cases. According to the directive, Military Police personnel must reach the scene within 30 minutes after being contacted.

If no representative arrives within that half-hour window, officers are instructed to release the detaineee and provide a summons ordering the individual to report to the Military Police at a later date.

The move triggered an angry response from Shas, which accused the police commissioner of targeting yeshiva students instead of focusing on violent crime and public safety.

“At a time when acts of violence and crime are on the rise and murderers walk the streets freely, instead of the police tending to national security properly, they decide to direct resources to persecute the dear Torah students as if they were criminals,” the party statement read. “It is shameful that this happens in the Jewish state.”

The party also appealed directly to Levy, accusing legal authorities of trying to use the issue for political purposes.

“Sir Commissioner, don’t fall into the political trap that the Attorney General and her team are leading, which aims to topple the government. Don’t cast your hand against the yeshiva students and Torah learners.”