Two haredi (ultra-Orthodox) protesters were arrested after attempting to break into an office building in Bnei Brak on Wednesday evening, targeting a facility where haredi soldiers serve as part of the IDF's Kodkod program, which trains personnel in software development and cybersecurity.
Most of the protesters at the demonstration were minors.
Officers from the Bnei Brak-Ramat Gan police station and Border Police confronted the protesters and arrested the two for disorderly conduct. Both were taken to a police station for questioning. Police later announced that the incident had ended.
The incident marked the second attempted break-in at the building within a week. On Monday, protesters gathered at the same location and attempted to enter the premises. The latest incident has once again made the haredi soldiers serving in the building the focus of protests.
The Kodkod program allows haredi men aged 23 and older who are not eligible for combat service to serve in technology-related positions in the IDF. Participants are not required to wear military uniforms, and the program has continued to expand since its launch in 2023.
Approximately 1,000 soldiers currently serve in the program, about 20% of whom are still undergoing training. According to IDF estimates, enrollment is expected to rise to between 1,100 and 1,200 soldiers by the end of 2026, with hundreds of new recruits joining each year.
Despite the program's expansion, protests against it have once again reached the building where the soldiers serve.
Liberman, Bennett condemn attempted break-in
Yisrael Beytenu chairman MK Avigdor Liberman condemned the incident in a post on X/Twitter, calling for the protesters to be arrested and imprisoned.
"At this very moment, dozens of draft dodgers are trying to forcibly break into a military base. Anyone who tries to break into an IDF base is simply a terrorist. They must all be arrested now and thrown in prison."
B'Yachad party chairman and former prime minister Naftali Bennett also responded on Wednesday evening, blaming the haredi leadership and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government for the unrest.
"This is the Netanyahu-Deri legacy: The government abandons those who serve for the sake of draft dodgers. It happens on the battlefield, and now it happens in the streets of Bnei Brak, too. The haredi rioters feel they own the place because they hear Deri promising a draft evasion law after the elections and see Netanyahu backing him.
"In two weeks, the revolution of those who serve will arrive: We will shut off the money taps, transfer NIS 30 billion from draft dodgers to those who serve, and establish a clear equation: Anyone who does not serve will not receive a single shekel, while those who serve will receive a great deal.
"If we do not dismantle the anti-Zionist haredi state, we will lose the Zionist state."