Ahead of a planned Haredi protest on Wednesday against the draft of yeshiva students, Hagi Luber, the bereaved father of fallen soldier Yehonatan Luber, published a sharply worded post rejecting the claim that Israel is "pursuing Torah learners." He opened by saying, "In Israel, they do not persecute Torah learners. Period," and called the allegation a lie meant to weaken enforcement against lawbreakers.
Luber argued that the claim does not match reality. He said his son studied Torah whenever he could in Gaza until he was killed, without being harassed, and that his other children studied before and after military service without any persecution. He added that he himself studied for 11 years in yeshiva and was never pursued.
He wrote that the State of Israel is "the largest sponsor of Torah study in history," saying that this can be welcomed or opposed, but not denied. He then urged Haredim not to use the slogan of persecution for the protest, which he said would see thousands blocking roads and disrupting daily life for innocent civilians.
According to Luber, the issue is not persecution but a response to violation of the compulsory enlistment law. He said anyone who breaks the law should be punished, and insisted that even in prison such a person would not be denied the chance to study Torah. He concluded by telling Haredi readers not to say, "We are being persecuted," but rather, "We are pursuing," quoting King David from Psalms.
