Police chief vows zero tolerance after Haredi protest blocks Highway 4 near Yavne

Update, 18 October, 12:07 Israel time

Israel's police commissioner has promised a harsh response to road blockades following the Haredi protest on Highway 4. News.co.il reported that Commissioner Danny Levi instructed commanders to act with determination to stop any attempt to block roads, disturb public order or disrupt daily life. Levi was quoted as saying that anyone who chooses to break public order and block roads will face a firm hand and zero tolerance from the Israel Police. A Ynet alert carried the same pledge of a firm hand and zero tolerance, attributing it directly to the commissioner and linking it to the protest on the highway.

Police have also confirmed that the protesters were cleared from the road and that traffic is moving again. The Times of Israel reported that police described the event as a riot and said they would not accept rioting, obstruction of freedom of movement or behaviour that puts the public at risk. The Times of Israel said footage showed drivers scuffling with Haredi teenagers, some of whom stood in front of vehicles and sat down on the roadway. A Flash90 photo caption carried with that report described both men and teens among the protesters.

None of the new reports gives a figure for arrests or injuries.

The story as first reported

Ultra-Orthodox protesters blocked Highway 4 near the Yavne Interchange in central Israel on Sunday morning, October 18, 2026, in protest at the arrest of young men who had not reported for military service. Ynet reported that members of the Jerusalem Faction held the road for an hour and a half, that drivers and demonstrators clashed, and that the group had moved forward a protest originally planned for the afternoon. Ynet quoted the protesters' slogan as "We will die and not enlist."

Police announced that traffic on the road was halted in both directions near the interchange, N12 reported. According to a Ynet alert, police described the gathering as an illegal protest and said officers were working to remove those disturbing the peace. Ynet later reported that police used stun grenades to disperse the crowd, and a subsequent alert said the highway had reopened.

What prompted the protest

The demonstration followed the weekend arrest in Rishon Lezion of two students from the Ohr HaChaim yeshiva in Jerusalem, The Times of Israel reported, citing Haredi media. The two were sentenced to 20 days in military prison for not enlisting in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Israel Hayom said the protest was against the arrest of two draft evaders and their handover to military police custody. News.co.il described the pair as residents of the Shfela, the lowland region of central Israel.

Ynet reported a further grievance from the protesters: they claimed police had prevented the arrested men from calling a hotline known as "Black Color". The reports do not include any response from police to that claim.

Who the protesters are

"Haredi" is the Hebrew term for ultra-Orthodox Jews, a community in which many men devote themselves to full-time religious study in yeshivas and decline to serve in the army. The question of whether and how yeshiva students should be drafted has been one of the most contested issues in Israeli politics.

The Jerusalem Faction, named in reports by Ynet, News.co.il and The Times of Israel, is a hardline Haredi group that opposes enlistment. Israel Hayom referred to the protesters as belonging to a group it called the "Ratzfnikim". Several Hebrew outlets, including N12 and Ynet, described the demonstrators as extremist Haredim, and Amit Segal, a political commentator who posts news updates on Telegram, used similar language.

The Times of Israel put the number of protesters at dozens of Haredi men, based on footage of the scene.

Where it happened

Highway 4, also called Route 4, is a major road running through Israel's coastal plain, and the blockade took place during the morning rush, according to N12 and Ynet. Yavne is a city in the centre of the country, and Gan Yavne is a neighbouring town. The reports place the protest slightly differently: Ynet, N12 and The Jerusalem Post refer to the Yavne Interchange, Israel Hayom and News.co.il to the Gan Yavne Interchange, and The Times of Israel to Yavne Junction. These appear to describe the same stretch of road, but the sources do not agree on the name.

Police urged drivers to use alternative routes, The Times of Israel reported, and a Ynet alert described heavy congestion at the site.

How police responded

Accounts of the police response broadly match on stun grenades, which Ynet and Israel Hayom both reported. Israel Hayom also said officers used force. The Jerusalem Post reported that both stun grenades and a water cannon were deployed. N12 reported that a water cannon vehicle had been stationed at the scene as police removed demonstrators, without saying whether it was used. A photo caption carried by The Jerusalem Post described ultra-Orthodox men clashing with police officers and civilians at the interchange.

Points of difference between the reports

Most outlets said the protest concerned two arrested men. One early N12 update referred to the arrest of a single deserter. Ynet described the arrested men as having already been sentenced, while Israel Hayom framed the grievance around the arrest and transfer to military police. The Times of Israel attributed the details of the arrests and sentences to Haredi media rather than to official sources.

What the reports do not say

None of the reports gives a figure for arrests among the protesters, and none reports injuries to protesters, police officers or drivers. The identities of the two yeshiva students have not been published. There is no statement from the IDF or the military police on the arrests, and police have not publicly addressed the claim about the hotline. The reports also do not say whether the protest planned for the afternoon was cancelled or whether further demonstrations are planned.