Story perspectives

Police Deploy Stun Grenades, Arrest Anti-Draft Protesters

6/17/2026

Summary

Story summary

Police deployed stun grenades and mounted units to disperse the anti-draft protest on Highway 4 near Bnei Brak.
A senior police officer declared the protest illegal and ordered the arrest of five demonstrators.
Two protesters were lightly injured and taken to Rabin Medical Center’s Beilinson Campus.
Jerusalem Faction officials warned of shutting down the country while opposition leader Yair Lapid condemned the police response.

History

Historical Context

In the October 1973 Yom Kippur War, Prime Minister Golda Meir approved Chief of Staff David Elazar’s plan to mobilize the entire air force and four armored divisions—about 100,000-120,000 reservists—after Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on 6 October. The shock-induced draft sparked nationwide protests, the Agranat Commission inquiry and Meir’s 1974 resignation, a legacy that today’s Jerusalem Faction anti-draft rally on Highway 4 invokes.

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Story summary

Police deployed stun grenades and mounted units to disperse the anti-draft protest on Highway 4 near Bnei Brak.
A senior police officer declared the protest illegal and ordered the arrest of five demonstrators.
Two protesters were lightly injured and taken to Rabin Medical Center’s Beilinson Campus.
Jerusalem Faction officials warned of shutting down the country while opposition leader Yair Lapid condemned the police response.

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