Thousands of Sephardic yeshiva students to protest outside Prison 10 tonight

A large protest is set for tonight at the gates of Prison 10 in Beit Lid, in response to the arrest of 22-year-old yeshiva scholar Aviel Cohen from Netivot. Cohen, a graduate of Be'er HaTalmud yeshiva, was arrested by police and military police while sitting in his car at a gas station near the Gilat junction, close to the entrance to Ofakim. His arrest, which happened in front of his young wife, immediately sparked anger on the ground.

Shortly after the arrest, an alert was circulated in internal networks, and dozens of demonstrators rushed to the scene. They held a spontaneous protest that blocked Routes 25 and 241 in southern Israel for hours.

Leaders at the Sephardic Be'er HaTalmud yeshiva said all students and alumni would arrive this evening on organized buses to support Cohen and protest his continued detention. According to a message from supervisor Rabbi Eliyahu Aharon, the rally will begin at 7:00 p.m. outside Prison 10.

The demonstration will be led by yeshiva head and Council of Torah Sages member Rabbi Yehuda Cohen, together with his son, Rabbi Chanuch Cohen, head of Be'er HaTalmud. The announcement said thousands of yeshiva students, married scholars and alumni are expected. Just yesterday, thousands of Gur Hasidim arrived in dozens of buses and held their own protest led by the Rebbe.