A group of men and bochurim from the Peleg Yerushalmi gathered in Yerushalayim along Highway 4 earlier today to protest the arrest of a yeshiva student who failed to appear at the IDF recruitment office for his military service deferment.
The demonstration led to the complete blockage of northbound traffic on Highway 4. Additionally, protesters disrupted the operation of the Yerushalayim light rail system and temporarily obstructed the entrance to the city.
In response to the unrest, the police expended efforts to maintain public order and divert motorists towards alternative routes. Clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement erupted within Yerushalayim, with some protesters alleging mistreatment by police officers.
The “Committee for the Preservation of the Torah World” issued a statement in the wake of the bochur’s arrest, emphasizing their commitment to mobilizing a massive protest. They voiced concern for the yeshiva students who they believe are subjected to distressing military service due to what they perceive as an unfavorable draft law. They cited the guidance of gedolim who they say advocated for raising awareness about the arrests of Torah students who refuse to report to recruitment centers.
“The Torah world will come out en masse to protest and to call out for the souls of the bochurim who rot in the horrible framework of the military as a result of the evil draft law. As our rav, Rav Shmuel Auerbach, instructed us: ‘To shake the world over the arrests of the prisoners of Torah who do not report to the recruitment centers.’
“The chareidi community will fight with determination against the dark draft laws, which are clearly aimed at pulling yeshiva students out of the halls of Torah, and were forbidden by all Torah scholars over the past generations. We will continue in our masses to refrain from reporting to the recruitment centers as part of our non-bending fight against the draconian draft law, which was shamefully brought by the charedi representatives in the Knesset,” they said.
{Matzav.com Israel}