Yaari Liberman, a young haredi man who recently got married, was arrested by police on Sunday as he and his wife made their way to a sheva brachot (post-wedding) celebration in their honor.
The Jerusalem Faction's Committee for Saving the Torah World reported that Liberman was arrested after disembarking from a bus with his wife. According to the committee, the officers who arrested the man wore civilian clothing and did not have name tags. Following his arrest, Liberman was taken to a military prison.
The committee alleges that the Military Police located the detainee by tracing his phone. However, no official evidence was provided for the claim.
The IDF Spokesman responded, stating that the Military Police, in a premeditated arrest operation, arrested a draft evader who was transferred to detention in accordance with the law. The IDF clarified that it will continue to enforce the Defense Service Law per its authority.
United Torah Judaism chairman MK Yaakov Asher spoke with the Defense Minister and demanded the groom's immediate release. "This is not a totalitarian state or a police state. Arresting a groom in the midst of his wedding celebrations demonstrates a staggering lack of sensitivity. I demanded that the Defense Minister take action to secure his immediate release and return him to his family and his celebrations."
The Shas faction strongly condemned the arrest of the groom, who had failed to report for military service. "We vehemently condemn the brutal arrest of a groom in front of his bride," the faction stated.
Shas also appealed to all Knesset members to sign a petition calling on the IDF to release the groom so that he could resume his wedding celebrations. "This is a necessary first step toward repairing and healing the divisions within our nation," the statement said.