Dozens of Chabad Students Detained at Ben Airport on Draft Evasion Charges

The students, who arrived Tuesday from New York, discovered upon landing that they were classified as draft evaders. The IDF was aware of their arrival and had prepared for it with reinforced forces, bringing a bus to the airport to transfer them to military custody. Some of the students had their passports confiscated, and they were informed they were suspected of failing to report for enlistment. Initially, they believed they would be released, assuming the military police were unprepared to hold such a large number of draft evaders simultaneously. They were later told they would be detained for disciplinary proceedings. According to updates, dozens of those detained were released, while others are being transferred to the army. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke out against the detentions, stating in an interview with Kol Barama radio, "This is unacceptable." He added, "We must preserve the world of Torah, as it has preserved us. These arrests are a deliberate attempt to harm the process of recruiting Haredim without coercion." While criticizing the arrests, Netanyahu also addressed those not studying, saying, "I greatly respect the world of Torah, but whoever does not study, should go enlist." The detained students had been studying in the U.S. and now must regulate their status with the army.