Culture and Sport Minister Miki Zohar (Likud) on Wednesday spoke out against the arrest of yeshiva students who fail to enlist inthe IDF.
Speaking to Kol Hai Radio, Zohar described the idea of arresting yeshiva students for refusing to enlist as "surreal."
"Throughout thousands of years of exile, we saw what persecution of Jews who wish to learn Torah is," he said. "Thank G-d, we have returned to the land of our forefathers. The last thing I can imagine is that when a young righteous man wants to go study Torah, that there should be someone who tells him, 'You're going to prison.' That's surreal to me."
Zohar also clarified that the government will not allow such a situation, stressing, "We will not allow such a thing, and we will fight it. Any Jew who wants to study Torah in the State of Israel will be able to do so, and no one will harm him. We will encourage and support him for his decision to learn Torah for the sake of the Jewish nation."
According to Zohar, the proposed Draft Law is expected to resolve the matter: "The law that we will pass, G-d willing, will create balance and prevent these ugly things, such as the arrest of a Torah scholar. I hope that we pass it soon."