A major uproar erupted Monday after Israeli Police Commissioner Danny Levy ordered officers to begin detaining yeshiva bochurim classified as “draft evaders” and transferring them to the military police.

The directive immediately sparked fierce backlash from Chareidi leaders — and criticism from within the police force itself, where officials warned the policy could quickly spiral out of control.

Under the new policy, any police officer who encounters a “draft evader” during a routine interaction must detain the individual, notify military police authorities, and wait up to 30 minutes for their arrival. If military police do not arrive within that timeframe, the detainee is to be released and issued a summons to report.

While police officials attempted to calm tensions by emphasizing the 30-minute limit, Chareidi leaders warned the move represents a dramatic shift in longstanding unofficial policy.

Senior Chareidi activists accused authorities of bowing to pressure from Israel’s Attorney General and warned the decision could ignite widespread unrest.

“Even within the police they understand there is no realistic way to arrest yeshiva bochurim without the situation becoming explosive within minutes,” one senior Chareidi source said.

According to reports, police officials privately warned that officers are now being pushed to the front lines of one of the most sensitive and volatile issues in Israeli society without the manpower or practical ability to handle the fallout.

Police sources reportedly fear violent confrontations with extremist groups, mass demonstrations, and major highway blockades that could require enormous security resources during an already tense security situation.

Officials also warned the directive could severely damage relations between the Chareidi community and law enforcement.

“One of the reasons police previously avoided transferring yeshiva bochurim to military police was the understanding that such a move would cause young Chareidim to fear any interaction with law enforcement,” a police source said.

“The concern is that a yeshiva bochur who needs police assistance as an ordinary citizen may now simply avoid going to a police station altogether. If a young Chareidi fears every interaction with a police officer could end with detention and transfer to military authorities, that becomes a much broader societal problem.”

Israeli Police later clarified that officers are only instructed to act during “random encounters” with “draft evaders” and reiterated that detainees must be released if military police fail to arrive within 30 minutes.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)