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Police Reopen Route 4 After Haredi Protest Blockade

By Drooid · Oct 21, 2026, 8:01 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Police Reopen Route 4

Police reopened Route 4 after Haredi protesters blocked it near Kfar Saba.
Police declared the demonstration illegal and ordered drivers onto alternate routes.
Authorities moved the arrested yeshiva student to Military Police custody despite protestors' blockade.
Attorney Shlomo Hadad was appointed to represent community members in the case.
A police officer warned protesters they had one minute to leave before force would be used.

Summary

Shas Leader Opposes Draft

Shas leader Aryeh Deri says his party will not support a government that ends Haredi draft exemptions.
Israel’s High Court ordered the government to enforce enlistment after its 2024 ruling ending blanket exemptions.
The IDF reports a 12,000-person manpower gap amid a multifront war.
About 80,000 ultra-Orthodox men aged 18-24 remain eligible but have not enlisted.
Only roughly 2,700 Haredim entered the army last year, highlighting recruitment woes.

History

Historical Context

In 1999 the Knesset passed the Tal Law (51-41 vote) after Barak’s Tal Committee, granting yeshiva deferments that saw only 1,115 of 41,450 take the “decision year” and 31 enlist (2005). The February 2012 Supreme Court struck the law, and a 2024 ruling ended blanket exemptions, cutting subsidies for 49,485 students in 1,257 yeshivas, prompting protests led by Shas head Aryeh Deri.

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Police Reopen Route 4

Police reopened Route 4 after Haredi protesters blocked it near Kfar Saba.
Police declared the demonstration illegal and ordered drivers onto alternate routes.
Authorities moved the arrested yeshiva student to Military Police custody despite protestors' blockade.
Attorney Shlomo Hadad was appointed to represent community members in the case.
A police officer warned protesters they had one minute to leave before force would be used.

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