The IDF detained 46 yeshiva students over the past Shabbat after classifying them as draft evaders, according to military figures. The number represents a notable rise in detentions within a short period, amid stepped-up enforcement efforts against those who failed to report to military recruitment offices.
The arrests have triggered strong criticism within the haredi community. Rabbis and public figures accused the authorities of a serious deterioration in relations between the state and the Torah world, arguing that yeshiva students and kollel scholars are being placed in detention facilities instead of continuing their religious studies.
Last Thursday, a 26-year-oldstudent was arrested. Following several hours of intervention by haredi representatives, he was released to his home on Friday, only hours before Shabbat began. In a separate incident, a yeshiva student was detained upon landing at Ben Gurion Airport after returning from an extended period of study at a yeshiva in the United States. He was transferred to military authorities for further processing.
Another detainee, 22-year-old Yeshiva student Aviel Cohen from Netivot, a graduate of the Be’er HaTalmud yeshiva, was released before Shabbat. His arrest sparked widespread outrage among members of the haredi community.
Cohen was taken into custody at a gas station near the Gilat Junction while sitting in a vehicle with his wife. His detention prompted protests and public efforts to secure his release.
Haredi sources said the growing number of arrests is expected to lead to expanded protest activity in the coming days, including demonstrations and additional measures calling for an end to the detention of yeshiva students. They warned that “a situation in which dozens of yeshiva students are being held in military prison is a warning sign for the entire public."