A group of chassidim traveling earlier this week to the kever of the Navi Amos, located near the village of Tuqu’ in Gush Etzion, was stopped at an IDF checkpoint, Kikar H’Shabbat reported.

According to the report, during the inspection, it became apparent that one of the passengers was classified as a draft evader. The soldiers therefore detained the vehicle and called the Military Police to the scene.

According to those involved, during the detention the soldiers took the passengers’ mobile phones out of concern that they would alert the “Tzeva Shachor” system, whose members would come to prevent the arrest.

While they were waiting, an avreich from the yishuv of Meitzad arrived and tried to persuade the soldiers to release the passengers. When he failed, a confrontation developed, during which he opened the vehicle’s door and called on the draft evader to flee.

The draft evader got into the avreich’s vehicle, and the two managed to escape before the Military Police arrived.

By the time the Military Police reached the scene, the draft evader was no longer there. The other passengers were later released and continued on their way.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)