Story perspectives

Police Move to Remove Illegal Highway 4 Protesters

8/25/2026

Summary

Story summary

Jerusalem Faction protesters blocked Highway 4 near Bnei Brak to protest Yisrael Guhafi’s arrest after a Rav-Kav card failure.
Police declared the demonstration illegal and said they would forcibly remove the protesters.
Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara urged renewed arrests and stricter economic sanctions, warning weak enforcement creates unequal draft treatment.
Military officials reported a sharp rise in Haredi enlistment over the past year despite enforcement gaps.

History

Historical Context

In 1999 Israel enacted the Tal Law, granting broad draft exemptions to ultra-Orthodox Jews and sparking nationwide debate. The Knesset passed the law with 61 votes, while the Ministry of Defense reported that only 3,000 of 30,000 eligible Haredi men served by 2005. Today's Jerusalem Faction blockade of Highway 4 mirrors the 1999 protests, as Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara again threatens stricter sanctions to enforce enlistment. The 2012 Supreme Court repeal of the Tal Law forced the government to draft new quotas, foreshadowing intensified confrontations over Haredi conscription.

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Story summary

Jerusalem Faction protesters blocked Highway 4 near Bnei Brak to protest Yisrael Guhafi’s arrest after a Rav-Kav card failure.
Police declared the demonstration illegal and said they would forcibly remove the protesters.
Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara urged renewed arrests and stricter economic sanctions, warning weak enforcement creates unequal draft treatment.
Military officials reported a sharp rise in Haredi enlistment over the past year despite enforcement gaps.

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