Hareidi protest against jailing of draft refusers (file)
Hareidi protest against jailing of draft refusers (file)Flash 90 / Yonatan Sinde

Hundreds rioted Saturday night in Jerusalem, protesting the arrest of a 19-year-old haredi girl for dodging the draft.

The rioters were associated with the 'Eida Hachareidis' haredi community.

The protest started with a series of speeches in Jerusalem's Batei Ungarin neighborhood, after which participants blocked off Shmuel Hanavi Street. Police arrested 3 for violating public order.

According to reports, the IDF has waited for the summer vacation haredim receive from yeshivas to start raids on draft dodgers, betting that their vacation raises the odds that they will be present at home, and not in yeshiva. This previous Sunday brought news of IDF raids in the haredi cities of Kiryat Sefer, Ofakim, Netivot, and Ramat Bet Shemesh Bet.