Deleted IDF video instructed haredi draft evaders how to avoid Ben-Gurion checks
It is unclear whether the IDF has a mechanism to prevent someone from reporting for the summons, avoiding a departure restriction, traveling to Uman, and then failing to complete enlistment.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) released a video on Wednesday advising Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) draft evaders on how to evade arrest at Ben-Gurion Airport. The video, published on the IDF's Instagram channel for Haredi service members, featured an AI-generated character named "Dudi the Explainer." Dudi instructed Haredi men that a brief visit to the recruitment office with medical documents could help avoid arrest at the airport.
The video warned that ignoring a draft order leads to a travel ban, and continued non-compliance would result in official designation as a draft evader and arrest. However, the video suggested a positive outcome by advising Haredi men to report to the recruitment office before traveling to Uman, Ukraine, for the annual Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage. The IDF later removed the video after Army Radio reported it and questioned the IDF about it.
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