Haredi Knesset members are fuming after dozens of Chabad-Lubavitch hasidim accused of draft evasion were arrested upon their arrival in Israel following a year of study in the United States.
The young men, who had not regularized their status with the military authorities, were detained by Military Police officers enforcing Israel's Defense Service Law at border crossings.
United Torah Judaism chairman MK Yaakov Asher appealed to Central Elections Committee chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg, requesting an immediate suspension of such arrests during lead-up to next week's elections.
According to Asher, the increased enforcement during this period is intended to create chaos and instill fear within the haredi community.
Meanwhile, MK Meir Porush said that he is in contact with senior officials in the IDF and Defense Ministry in an effort to secure the release of the detained young men.
The Shas party also issued sharp criticism of what it described as political interference in the election campaign through the enforcement of draft-related orders.
Shas faction chairman MK Yinon Azoulay, acting on instructions from party chairman Aryeh Deri, is working to demand the immediate release of those detained.
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit, however, stated that the young men detained at Ben Gurion Airport are legally obligated to enlist and are expected to face disciplinary or criminal proceedings in accordance with military regulations.
The IDF emphasized that the Military Police are working to enforce the Defense Service Law at border crossings as well, in full coordination with the Population and Immigration Authority and other authorized enforcement agencies.