The IDF released a video on its official Instagram account for the Haredi public days before the mass Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage to Uman. In the clip, an AI-generated character explains that Haredi men under a Section 12 order can clear the exit ban by briefly reporting to the recruitment office with medical documents, enabling them to travel normally.
Days before the mass Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage from Israel to Uman, the IDF’s official Instagram account for the Haredi public (haredim.idf) published a video offering guidance on how draft evaders can clear exit bans at Ben Gurion Airport. The video features an AI-generated character, "Dodi the explainer," who tells viewers that a Section 12 order — the step before a desertion declaration and arrest warrant — results in being stopped at the airport. The solution, he says, is a brief visit to the recruitment office with medical documents: "This story also has a different ending — a short appearance at the recruitment office with your medical documents — and that order is behind you." The Instagram post’s description explicitly states: "How to solve it with a short appearance at the recruitment office so you can continue as usual."
The timing is significant: thousands of Haredi men are expected to fly to Uman for Rosh Hashanah, and in recent weeks The Zioneer has reported on the tightening of exit bans at Ben Gurion as an enforcement tool against draft evasion. Critics note that the video effectively provides a roadmap for evaders to circumvent arrest: many Haredim reportedly game the system by showing up for the initial order to clear the exit ban, then failing to complete enlistment upon return. The IDF spokesperson has not responded to a request for comment.
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