Israeli authorities have uncovered an apparent loophole at Ben Gurion Airport that allowed dozens of chareidi draft avoiders who were barred from leaving the country to travel to Uman, Ukraine, before being caught when they returned to Israel.

A total of 64 draft avoiders were stopped at border control upon their return from Uman, according to a report by Kan News. A subsequent examination produced a startling finding: the men had no official record of ever leaving Israel.

That indicated that despite being subject to orders prohibiting them from leaving the country, they had managed to depart without properly passing through border control.

The men had traveled to Uman, where tens of thousands of Jews gather annually around Rosh Hashanah at the kever of Rav Nachman of Breslov.

All 64 men apprehended upon their return were transferred to the Ben Gurion Airport Police for further handling. Some have already been questioned under caution on suspicion of violating Israel’s Entry Law, while others are expected to be questioned in the coming days.

Investigators examining how the men managed to leave the country discovered what authorities believe was the primary method used to circumvent the restrictions.

According to the investigation, some of the suspects allegedly passed through the gate located after passport control by closely following another passenger, effectively slipping through without registering their own departure in the border-control system.

Police reviewing surveillance footage from Ben Gurion Airport have reportedly already identified some of the suspects on camera using the method.

The discovery is particularly significant because the problem extends well beyond the current dispute over chareidi military conscription. The apparent security gap could potentially be exploited by anyone prohibited from leaving Israel, including individuals facing criminal proceedings, debt-enforcement restrictions or other court-imposed travel bans.

The cases have therefore raised broader questions about how passengers subject to exit restrictions could physically leave the country without their departure being recorded by Israel’s border-control system.

The Population and Immigration Authority has responded by implementing a series of measures at Ben Gurion Airport aimed at closing the loophole. Among the immediate steps taken is an increase in the number of inspectors stationed at the airport.

{Matzav.com}