The new directive from Police Commissioner Danny Levy, according to which from now on any deserter encountered by a police officer will be detained immediately, a report will be forwarded to the military police, and he will later be transferred to the care of military officials, has drawn strong reactions from the Haredi public.
But now a significant escalation is coming: Degel Hatorah chairman, MK Moshe Gafni, sent a letter today (Wednesday) to Degel representatives in local authorities across the country - in which he ordered them to no longer cooperate with the local police and municipal policing.
Gafni wrote: "Following the change in policy by the Israel Police, and may we, God forbid, be complicit in harming the Holy Torah and the media. I ask to immediately cease cooperation with the Israel Police, including municipal policing, until further notice.""
As part of the Commissioner's new policy, last night the police carried out a series of arrests of yeshiva students defined as "deserters" - and handed them over to the military police.
Yeshar Party Chairman Gadi Eisenkot responded to the letter: "The State of Israel has one law and one police force, and they are valid for everyone." Eisenkot added: "MK Gafni's directive is a spit in the face of Israel Police officers, an attack on the rule of law, and a call for anarchy that has no place in a law-abiding state.".
Yair Lapid responded: "More proof why it is forbidden to cooperate with the ultra-Orthodox parties.".
Yisrael Beiteinu Party Chairman Avigdor Lieberman condemned the letter, calling it a "rebellion against the state.".
""You will not hear condemnation of this atrocity from the evasion coalition, they are in the pocket of the Haredi activists," said Lieberman, adding that "very soon we will put an end to the celebration of evasion!""
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