Haredi enlistment protest
Haredi enlistment protestYonatan Sindel/Flash 90

Israel Police arrested two Jerusalem residents on suspicion of involvement in organized and systematic activities enabling haredi men to obtain medical documents which would allow them an exemption from IDF service.

The investigation began after a 25-year-old haredi rioter was arrested in front of the Jerusalem Draft Office last month. The suspect's interrogation led to the arrest of another suspect, this one 57 years old.

During a search of the 57-year-old's home, police found 100,000 NIS in cash hidden in one of the closets. They also found several packages, each labeled with a different name. Later, investigators also received testimony from several psychiatrists.

The two arrested suspects, together with several others, built an "underground" to aid haredim who did not want to draft in obtaining exemptions. In exchange for cash, the two suspects arranged a meeting with a psychiatrist for their "client." Before the appointment, they briefed their "client" on how act and what to say during the meeting.

Each client received a paper detailing the different psychiatric conditions he "suffered," which was submitted to the army during the draft process.

The pair's arrest was extended for several days, after which they were released on probation.

The investigation is still ongoing.

Israel Police said on Sunday morning, "This is a complex investigation. We have uncovered a system haredi men used to trick the army and avoid being drafted. This is a systematic fraud of dozens of potential IDF soldiers.

"Israel Police will continue doing all it can to prevent and to thwart sophisticated deception and fraud, and to bring the involved suspects to justice."

Haredi men rioted across the country after Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman's (Yisrael Beytenu) recent announcement that any haredi out rioting would lose his army deferral.