**Yeshiva Council Issues Stern Warning Against Independent Draft Arrangements**
The Yeshiva Council on Tuesday released a letter addressed to all haredi yeshivas across Israel, warning students not to seek independent solutions regarding their military status.
The letter, issued under the directive of the President of the Yeshiva Council, Rabbi Dov Landau, states that some yeshiva students have “harmed themselves in ways that, for now, are irreparable.”
The Council sharply criticized what it called “outrageously irresponsible behavior” among those searching for “solutions” whose damage, it said, far outweighs any potential benefit. The letter also warned against relying on “false advice and empty promises” which could lead to irreversible consequences.
Regarding travel abroad during the "bein hazmanim" [i.e. midterm] break, the Yeshiva Council emphasized that students are not to leave the country for any reason without the explicit approval of their yeshiva head, adding that “anyone not obligated to travel should refrain from doing so.”
The letter also referenced the recent draft notices issued to all yeshiva students aged 16.5 to 28, requiring them to report to enlistment offices.
According to the Council, while the first notice does not impose a travel ban, failure to respond to subsequent summons results in an automatic draft order and a travel restriction. Students who do not report on their assigned draft date, the Council warned, “risk actual arrest.”
The letter concluded by assuring that the Yeshiva Council’s office is available around the clock to assist and support students, urging anyone with questions or concerns to make contact as soon as possible.