Dozens of Chareidi demonstrators blocked Highway 4 near the Gan Yavne interchange on Sunday morning, October 18, protesting the arrest and imprisonment of two yeshiva bochurim over military draft-related issues.

The demonstration, organized by activists affiliated with HaRav Tzvi Friedman, began during the morning rush hour, causing significant traffic disruptions as protesters entered the roadway and prevented vehicles from passing.

The protest followed the sentencing of Yedidya Mizrachi, a talmid at Yeshivas Ohr Hachaim, and Yonatan Mostakis to 20 days in military prison. Both had been arrested in Rishon LeZion.

According to members of the group, the two bochurim were detained after being prevented from contacting the Black Color hotline, which alerts activists when draft enforcement officers are conducting arrests.

The demonstration had reportedly been planned for the afternoon in the Gush Dan area but was moved to the morning without advance notice.

Police arrived at the scene and began clearing protesters from the highway. Confrontations were reported as officers attempted to restore traffic, with demonstrators resisting efforts to remove them from the roadway.

After approximately an hour and a half, police succeeded in clearing the demonstrators from the lanes, allowing traffic to resume.

The protest comes amid continued tensions within the Chareidi community over the arrest and imprisonment of yeshiva bochurim in connection with military draft enforcement.