According to a report published on ynet by Shila Fried, there is a clear trend of a significant decrease in proactive activity to locate deserters from the Haredi public, despite the freezing of the exemption law by the High Court of Justice. As of now, 40 Haredi deserters are held in military prison, but these figures do not reflect targeted enforcement by law enforcement authorities. According to findings, more than half of the detainees were caught at Ben Gurion Airport while trying to leave the country, specifically on their way to Europe for Rosh Hashanah prayers, or during chance encounters with police officers.
In the background, the defense establishment claims that the police are not providing the necessary support for arrests, while the Israel Police responds that it is operating in accordance with existing protocols. This development comes against the backdrop of the position of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who emphasized in the High Court of Justice that widespread public disturbances make proactive arrests difficult and require significant resource allocation. Furthermore, the IDF recently published content regarding the conduct of deserters at the airport, a move that was criticized and subsequently removed. Simultaneously, rabbis in certain communities have called on the public to avoid enlistment for the purpose of traveling abroad.
The decrease in proactive arrests has led to calm in the field and a significant reduction in protests and public disturbances by factions opposing the draft. The few arrests that were carried out as part of proactive activity remain exceptions in the current landscape, while the main effort of enforcement agencies remains challenging in the face of growing opposition and limited resources.