Two 25-year-old haredi (ultra-Orthodox) draft dodgers arrested overnight between Thursday and Friday turned to the ultra-Orthodox community for support, Israeli media reported on Friday.
The young men were stopped for a routine check at a checkpoint at the entrance of Ashdod. When the police realized who they were, the young men called the "Black Color" hotline, a forum designed to dispatch haredi protestors when draft dodgers are arrested, to intervene on their behalf.
Shortly thereafter, approximately 100 haredi Jews arrived at the scene to assist the young men.
Police said the protesters “tried to disrupt our work,” according to the report.
The police assured protesters that the young men were not being arrested and that the matter would be referred to the Military Police.
Haredi protestors shut down highways, railway
The incident followed a day of demonstrations by haredi protesters against the military draft, which shut down major Israeli highways and the railway to the airport.
The protest lasted for approximately 2 hours before being dispersed.