Israeli authorities arrested a young bochur at Ben Gurion Airport overnight while he was on his way to visit the kevorim of tzaddikim in Ukraine. The bochur, Amitei Amar (20) from Yeshivat Tiferet Zvi in Yerushalayim, was detained and spent the night in the Neve Tzedek military detention facility before being released Friday morning following legal intervention.

The arrest marks a significant moment in the ongoing battle over the Israeli government’s attempt to forcibly draft Charedi bochurim. In June 2024, the High Court ruled that there was no longer a legal framework to exempt lomdei torah from military service, leading the IDF to issue thousands of draft orders to members of the Charedi community. However, only a few hundred of the recipients have reported to enlist, reflecting their deep opposition to the coercion of bochurim into military service.

According to reports, Amar had checked his travel eligibility before departing and was assured that there was no issue. Nevertheless, he was arrested at the airport—a move that many see as an alarming overreach.

Agudas Bnei Yeshivos swiftly mobilized legal efforts to secure Amar’s release. Attorney Menachem Stauber, who represented the bochur, confirmed that the military judicial officer reviewed the case and ordered his immediate release after evaluating the circumstances.

In response to the incident, a representative of the Vaad HaYeshivot issued a statement urging bochurim to verify their travel status exclusively through their offices, as government databases are not always synchronized with the IDF’s records.

“All yeshiva students were repeatedly advised to coordinate through Vaad HaYeshivot, the only body with up-to-date records on each student’s draft status. Government offices are not properly synced with the army, and independent checks may lead to misinformation,” the official warned.

Meanwhile, opposition leader Yair Lapid attempted to politicize the arrest, claiming, “The real headline isn’t ‘Charedi arrested at Ben Gurion,’ but rather ‘IDF deserter arrested at Ben Gurion.’ He wasn’t arrested for being Charedi; he was arrested for not reporting to the draft office after receiving an induction order.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)