IDF hunts draft dodgers as Haredi Leaders Rally Against Military Draft

Big names in Israel's ultra-Orthodox world are hitting the streets this week, as army draft tensions reach a boiling point. The Rebbes of Chernobyl and Slonim - usually not the protest-joining types - will lead demonstrations at Tel Hashomer military base after thousands of yeshiva students got called up for immediate service.

Things got heated this morning (Wednesday) when IDF officials showed up in Haifa's Ramat Vizhnitz neighborhood, hunting for 17-year-olds who hadn't answered their first draft notices. The local Seret Vizhnitz yeshiva quickly gathered their students inside, keeping them away from any run-ins with the military.

The whole mess kicked off after Defense Minister Israel Katz dropped a bombshell: the new draft law won't just pressure institutions - it'll come after individual students who choose Torah study over military service if draft numbers stay low. That announcement sent shockwaves through ultra-Orthodox communities.

Buses are being organized from ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods across Israel for two days of protests Wednesday and Thursday. It's bringing together some unlikely allies - the conservative Old Yishuv community, the hardcore Jerusalem Faction, and various Hasidic and Sephardic groups.

What makes this round different is seeing top religious leaders getting personally involved. When Rebbes take to the streets, it's a sign things are getting serious in the never-ending tug-of-war between military service and religious study in Israel.