17 haredim in custody after protests over draft evader's arrest

Seventeen ultra-Orthodox men were arrested Sunday in violent protests against the arrest of a yeshiva student who failed to show up at an army recruitment center on his draft date.

Thousands of haredi followers of Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach took to the streets in Jerusalem, Bnei Brak and Beit Shemesh, among other cities, to demonstrate against the arrest.

The protests also brought to the surface the tensions in the Lithuanian haredi community between the followers of Rabbi Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman and Auerbach's smaller group of followers, who urge for a more extremist stance on all issues related to the State of Israel.

"In the Jewish state, they put a yeshiva student in jail because he wants to continue learning Torah," said Yosef Ehrenthal, a protestor at the demonstration in Bnei Brak. "What a terrible thing. They are truly causing a civil war, sending policemen on horses against us, just to hurt us. We will not give up, we will continue to fight and protest against the army and the state, even if we have to pay with our lives."

Protesters in Bnei Brak tried to block Geha Interchange, a major roadway, but were stopped by police. They carried signs with slogans including "No compromises, no concessions" and "Death is better than sin."

Several protesters made derogatory statements against the police, and one was arrested.

In Jerusalem, eight protesters were arrested. Several protesters lit a garbage can on fire and tried to use it to block a major street, while others threw stones at police. One police officer was injured in the arm.

Three protesters were arrested in Beit Shemesh, two for trying to block streets and one for attacking a police officer.

In Ashdod, about 100 yeshiva students attempted to block a major street. After ignoring repeated warnings, five were arrested for disturbing the peace and fighting with police officers.

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