Report: Surge in Arrests of Bnei Yeshivah Occurring at IDF Draft Offices, Prompting Fresh Warnings

Report: Surge in Arrests of Bnei Yeshivah Occurring at IDF Draft Offices, Prompting Fresh Warnings

Amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the arrest of bnei yeshivah, a new report claims that the vast majority of recent arrests are taking place not during police operations, but inside IDF draft offices after young men voluntarily arrive to address administrative matters. Speaking on Kol Chai’s morning program, reporter Nati Kalish detailed the recent arrest of a Gerer yungerman from Ashdod and discussed what he described as a recurring pattern in recent weeks, while also highlighting a strongly worded letter issued by the Rosh Yeshivah of Mir warning talmidim not to visit draft offices without prior authorization. Kalish reported that the avreich from Ashdod was arrested and immediately sentenced to 20 days in military prison. “An avreich, a resident of Ashdod and a Gerer chassid, was arrested and immediately sentenced to 20 days of actual imprisonment in military prison. According to the precise information that reached us, his arrest was carried out through what his family describes as a form of deception by the military authorities. The avreich was told to come in person to the draft office to take care of technical matters and submit several missing documents. He arrived innocently with the requested paperwork—and was arrested on the spot as a draft evader.” According to Kalish, the case reflects a broader trend. “This pattern has repeated itself again and again in recent weeks. The Military Police are hardly going to people’s homes anymore, but nearly all of the arrests now are taking place inside the draft offices themselves. These are bochurim who come to regularize their status according to the law. Some are convinced they are doing the right thing and have no idea they are risking arrest and immediate imprisonment.” Kalish recalled the response from Ger following a previous arrest involving one of the chassidus’ members in Ashdod. The last time a Gerer chassid was arrested, thousands of Gerer chassidim gathered outside Military Prison 10 for a massive, organized protest under the direction of the chassidus’ leaders and askanim. The arrested bochur was subsequently released shortly thereafter. According to the report, Gerer askanim have been engaged in quiet discussions with senior military officials since late Monday night in an effort to have the latest prison sentence overturned. Sources within the chassidus warned that if the avreich is not released quickly, large-scale public protests could once again be organized. “If the avreich is not released soon, there will be a major upheaval on the ground,” sources in the chassidus said, adding that organizers are seriously considering launching another wave of mass demonstrations to secure his release. Kalish also claimed that many bochurim are arriving at draft offices after receiving questionable legal advice from attorneys who promise they can obtain medical exemptions. “The bochurim come there hoping to receive exemptions for legitimate medical reasons, but they become victims of fixers and non-chareidi attorneys who advertise their services and try to profit financially from them. These people send the young men to the draft offices with completely inaccurate information and without any real experience, and in the end the bochurim are arrested because they are long-standing draft evaders.” He noted that a similar incident occurred approximately three weeks ago involving a talmid of Yeshivas Mir who was arrested after reporting to a draft office under similar circumstances. In response to that case, Mir Rosh Yeshivah Rav Eliezer Yehuda Finkel took the unusual step of issuing an official letter to the talmidim announcing the establishment of a special committee to advise bochurim on all matters relating to the draft authorities. In his letter, Rav Finkel instructed that no bochur should report to a draft office under any circumstances without first consulting the committee and receiving its approval. He further warned that anyone who chooses to act independently and report without guidance would bear full responsibility for any resulting arrest and its consequences. {Matzav.com}