Hundreds of yeshiva students are demonstrating outside Prison
6 in northern Israel in protest of the arrest of an ultra-Orthodox teen who did
not heed an enlistment order. The 19-year-old agreed to report to the military
induction center for his first mobilization order but has since ignored all
other summons.
On Tuesday he was tried to 14 days in military prison.
The protest is being led by Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach, head of
the Maalot Hatorah Yeshiva in Jerusalem and leader of the Bnei Torah Lithuanian
faction. Rabbi Auerbach is known for his fierce rejection of military service.
The teen was following the rabbi's guidelines not to report
to the induction center. Rabbi Auerbach and Rabbi Yitzchok Tuvia Weiss, leader
of the Eda Haredit faction, met with a rabbi from the teen's yeshiva on Tuesday
and issued similar guidelines during the meeting.
"For the first time the army has done what it did and
this is the obvious response," said Yishaayahu Winn, of the rabbi's associates.
"If they change the rules, we have no other choice. Up until now we only
wrote articles and voiced our protest. This is the kick-off to a whole new
struggle."
A., a friend of the yeshiva student, said he was following
Rabbi Auerbach's orders. "My friend was arrested and is in prison through
no fault of his own. He not a criminal, he didn't attack anyone. He just did
not report for duty because he wanted to study the Torah. Is it against the law
to study Torah in Israel?"
The IDF's Spokesperson's Unit has yet to comment.
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