Torah World Protests Yeshiva Student's Imprisonment

A protest and prayer vigil was held Tuesday evening outside Prison 10 in Kfar Yona, organized by students and alumni of the Orchos Meir Yeshiva from Jerusalem. The gathering was in response to the arrest of their fellow student, Eliyahu Dweeda, for alleged draft evasion and failure to report for service. Participants sang and danced to protest songs, crying out against the imprisonment of yeshiva students for these offenses.

The event followed a directive from the Rosh Yeshiva who called participation a "holy obligation" and urged students to support Dweeda, stating, "Fortunate are you who are caught for the sake of Torah." The yeshiva's Mashgiach, Rabbi Neria Rachamim, delivered an emotional speech from outside the prison, imagining Dweeda's experience inside and emphasizing that Torah, like water, can break through prison walls. He assured Dweeda that his study partners awaited his return.

Earlier in the week, senior rabbis, including Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Avraham Salim, had inquired about Dweeda's well-being. Dweeda was arrested by military police at his parents' home in Be'er Sheva last week. The protest joins a series of similar demonstrations, including a large gathering by Breslov Hasidic followers led by Rabbi Yaakov Meir Shakter.