Tens of thousands of Gur Hasidim have gathered at Prison 10 near Beit Lid in a rare mass protest led by the Gur Rebbe, following the arrest of a young sect member classified as a draft deserter, Israeli media report. The demonstration is coordinated with police and is expected to proceed without disturbances.
The protest, which began at 16:00 Wednesday outside Prison 10 at the Beit Lid junction, marks an unusually large and public show of force by the Gur Hasidic community. Organizers and the community's leadership, including the 87-year-old Gur Rebbe, who is addressing the crowd from a special stage, have instructed participants to obey the law and avoid provocations, according to Israeli media. Police coordinated the route and logistics in advance.
As The Zioneer reported at 17:26, the rebbe arrived to address a crowd estimated at 8,000; later reports from the scene described significant crowding and traffic disruptions in the area. The protest follows the arrest of a young Gur Hasid classified as a draft deserter, a term applied to individuals who failed to report for mandatory military service. The demonstrators are calling for his release.
The event is the latest in a series of Haredi protests against the arrest of draft evaders that have taken place across Israel over the past week, including demonstrations in Ashdod, Jerusalem, and Beit Shemesh. The specific status of the arrested individual — whether he is a yeshiva student — remains unclear; one source cited an assessment that he is not, while other reports identify him only as a member of the community.
17 developments
- DevelopingCounter-protesters in soldier pants confront Gur Hasidim outside Prison 10
- StrongExtremist Haredim protest outside Beit Lid military base against draft-evader arrests
- DevelopingPolice release detainee from Haredi protest as crowd celebrates
- DevelopingMinister Goldknopf joins Gur Hasidic protest near Beit Lid, police block Route 57
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