IDF to deserters: Report for your initial screening to avoid arrest at Ben Gurion Airport
The IDF published a new video on its official Instagram page yesterday (Wednesday), aimed at young people defined as deserters from military service. The video features a soldier explaining to candidates for military service what they must do to regulate their status with the army.
The central message of the video is a clear call for deserters to proactively report for their "initial screening" (Tzav Rishon). According to the army, voluntarily reporting for the initial recruitment procedures will allow young people to avoid unpleasant situations, primarily arrest when attempting to leave the country through Ben Gurion Airport.
The video was posted on the "hardim.idf" Instagram page, which is intended for the ultra-Orthodox community, as part of the army's attempt to make information accessible to young people who have not yet enlisted. The purpose of the publication is to clarify the consequences of failing to report for service and to prevent cases where young people are arrested at Ben Gurion Airport on their way to a flight abroad.
The IDF's directive emphasizes that regulating one's status is the safest way to avoid getting into trouble with law enforcement authorities. The army calls on anyone who has received a summons and did not report, to contact recruitment offices as soon as possible to settle their affairs and prevent unnecessary distress.