Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox demonstrators clashed with police
in Jerusalem on Thursday in protest against the arrest of a yeshiva student who
did not show up at an Israeli military enlistment center to arrange his
military service deferral.
The protesters torched trash cans and lobbed stones at the
police, lightly injuring one Border Police officer. At least two protesters
were arrested.
The 19-year-old student was arrested at his parents' home in
Kiryat Malakhi late Sunday night. The following day he was tried and sentenced
to 14 days in military jail after refusing to answer a summons to come and
arrange his deferral, or ask for an exemption from service.
Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach, a top figure in the ultra-Orthodox
community, traveled from Jerusalem on Wednesday to personally visit the student
in the military's Prison 6, while hundreds of yeshivah students protested
outside the prison.
The Israeli military has required yeshiva students to report
to enlistment centers since August 2012, when the High Court struck out the
legislation allowing for their exemption from compulsory military service.
A year ago a number of Haredi rabbis issued an order to
their followers not to cooperate with the IDF. As result, hundreds of yeshiva
students are ignoring the notices they receive requiring them to periodically
appear at the draft offices. Until now, the military has avoided taking action
against the yeshiva students.
In recent weeks, the “harassment” of these yeshiva students
has increased, said sources in Auerbach’s camp. Auerbach is one of two senior
rabbis battling for the leadership of the so-called Lithuanian ultra-Orthodox
community − a group comprised of non-Hassidic Ashkenazi Haredim. The
harassment, according to the Haredim, includes visits by the Military Police to
the students' homes.
“It seems someone has decided to inflame the issue, exactly
when the Shaked Committee is reaching the point of making a decision,” said a
close follower of Auerbach. The Shaked Committee, headed by MK Ayelet Shaked
(Habayit Hayehudi), is formulating a new law governing the drafting of Haredim
and is expected to complete its work soon.
"If that's what they want, they'll see a wave of mass
protests in Israel and abroad against the government," said the follower.
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