A Yeshiva Bochur affiliated with the Peleg Yerushalmi, Meir Elyashiv was arrested during the night of Thursday, 16 Marcheshvan (Wednesday to Thursday) by military police and is now in a military jail.
Police entered the Peleg-affiliated Bnei Torah party election headquarters on Modi’in Illit and arrested Elyashiv for failing to report to the draft office. He was taken in a military police vehicle to Prison 4 in the Tzrifin base and is represented by attorney Menachem Stauber, who has become ‘the’ attorney for chareidim arrested for failing to report to the draft.
Stauber, a member of the chareidi community, has experience as he served in the IDF on the staff of the military prosecutor, amassing experience on the other side of the draft dodging issue. Today, he has become the attorney of choice for most who find themselves arrested for failing to report to military service.
In response, the “Vaad to Save the Torah World” (הוועדה להצלת עולם התורה) announced that in light of the arrest, there will be collective kabolas Shabbos in major cities nationwide to give chizuk to Elyashiv and send a “clear message” to authorities.
Venues for the kabolas Shabbos tefilos have yet to be announced.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
Ho hum, another one. Will we ever reach the stage when these endlessly repetitive arrests cease to be considered “news?” YWN doesn’t report the scores of arrests made throughout Israel on a daily or weekly basis. Why is this worthy of a report? These guys choose to be arrested. So, let ’em. This has long ceased to be a news item.
1) If this lawyer guy Stauber served in the IDF, why oh why is he being engaged by the Peleg Yerushalmi in any capacity. Isn’t he treif in their eyes? And isn’t taking on a lawyer showing lack of emunah in Hashem?
2) Why was Elyashiv in the election headquarters and not in the beis medrash learning?
3) Why does Elyahiv need chezuk, if the whole goal is to get arrested for not reporting to the draft center in the first place? He should be giving chezuk to those who HAVEN’T been arrested yet!
4) What exactly is the “clear message” being sent to the authorities?
5) It’s supposed to rain here on Shabbos. The Vaad should make an alternative Plan B just in case Hashem decides to rain on their parade.
The question is: Where was he arrested?
If anybody has been following these arrests as I have, the common thread is that they are never arrested in the Beis HaMidrash. The stories of police barging into a Beis HaMidrash and dragging out bochurim are all Bobbe Masehs and whoever believes them are naive. For all their political speak about the IDF taking bochurim from learning, the non-Peleg bochurim that do register for the draft are never arrested, while the Peleg bochurim who are arrested, are always arrested while engaging in some activity outside the Beis HaMidrash. One grabbed a revolver from a policeman, one was caught speeding, another was at a demonstration, etc.
The message is: If you want to learn because that is your life’s dream and desire; if you learn like your life depends on it, your learning protects the country, and even if you register, Hashem will help that you never get drafted. However, those that are just hiding from the draft in the Beis HaMidrash but their hearts aren’t really in it, should join the army.
The questions and philosophy are fine but there is only one thing to say – who cares. People get arrested every day for acting illegally but nothing is reported. YWN, we are sick of hearing about the Peleg clowns and monkeys. Please don’t bore us with their antics anymore.