מפגיני 'הפלג הירושלמי' חוסמים כבישיםיוסי ליאון

Israel police reported Thursday that 120 protesters were detained at haredi anti-draft protests in Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh and Bnei Brak.

Most of the arrests were in Jerusalem, where demonstrators blocked a number of roads and the light rail route for several hours.

Protesters from the extremist Yerushalmi Faction ('Jerusalem Faction') burned trash cans and pushed them onto the road at the Shabbat Square The protesters also attempted to confront the police several times.

The Jerusalem Faction called for a day of rage over the arrests of the draft dodgers. Dozens of demonstrators have been arrested in multiple protests this week. Demonstrators from the Jerusalem Faction blocked another major intersection by the city of Modiin Thursday morning.

Last night, six protesters who attempted to prevent a prison vehicle from transferring draft-dodgers to the military police were arrested in Jerusalem, while 3 protesters in Ma'ale Adumim who refused a police request to clear the road were arrested.

On Tuesday, 40 demonstrators from the Jerusalem Faction were arrested in Bnei Brak after several of them attacked police and rioted in the street.

By law, every Israeli must register with the IDF, but if a male recruit brings a letter signed by his yeshiva head attesting to his full time Torah study, he is eligible for an unlimited deferral. The Jerusalem Faction, led by Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach, is opposed to the draft of any members of the haredi community, and has encouraged its members to refuse to participate with army officials in any capacity.