Hundreds of Haredim held a homecoming procession through the streets of Bnei Brak on Sunday evening in honor of 160 ultra-Orthodox draft dodgers who were released from military prison.

The event was organized by a newly registered political party, Color Black, which has made securing exemptions from military service a central plank of its platform.

The ultra-Orthodox community, collectively known as Haredim, largely rejects army service and has sought to enshrine in law the exemptions historically granted to its members, in the face of opposition from other Israelis who do mandatory national service.

Though the event was not billed as political, as proceedings began organizers declared a launch event for Color Black, Channel 12 reported.

The returning draft dodgers were reportedly held in military prison over the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur holidays. Most were arrested as they tried to leave the country for a traditional Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage to Uman in Ukraine, or on their return to the country, reports said, a fact seen as highlighting a dearth in the arrests of draft dodgers on the streets.

News crews covering the event said they were attacked by participants and forced to leave the area. There were no reports of injuries.

Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, which is running neck and neck in polls with the ruling Likud ahead of October’s elections, accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of encouraging draft dodging.

The........

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