Dozens of Chabad Yeshiva Students Detained at Ben Gurion Airport

By ישראל זאב לוונטהל לוונטהל

Translated & summarized from JDN by baba

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Dozens of Chabad yeshiva students were detained and arrested at Ben Gurion Airport upon returning from the US due to their irregular military status. The IDF confirmed the detentions are part of enforcing the Security Service Law. The arrests have caused outrage in the Haredi community, with Chabad officials working to resolve the students' status. The article suggests the detentions may be politically motivated ahead of elections.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

Dozens of Chabad yeshiva students were detained at Ben Gurion Airport for not regularizing their military status.
The IDF confirmed the detentions are part of enforcing the Security Service Law.
Around fifty students are expected to face disciplinary proceedings and potential trial.
Chabad officials are actively working to resolve the students' military status and secure their release.
The article suggests the detentions may be politically motivated before upcoming elections.

Dozens of Chabad Yeshiva Students Detained at Ben Gurion Airport — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

Dozens of Chabad Hasidic yeshiva students were detained and arrested upon their arrival at Ben Gurion Airport on Tuesday. The students, numbering around fifty, were returning from Brooklyn, New York, after completing a year of study at the Lubavitcher Rebbe's yeshiva. They were detained because they had not regularized their status with the army, and were subsequently handed over to military police. Approximately fifty students are expected to face disciplinary proceedings, with a military bus en route to transport them for trial.

The IDF Spokesperson stated that the Military Police regularly enforce the Security Service Law at all border crossings, in coordination with relevant authorities such as the Population and Immigration Authority. The IDF added that those involved are obligated to enlist and will be judged according to the law, emphasizing their commitment to equitable enforcement and fulfilling the duty of service.

The mass arrests have sparked significant anger within the Haredi public, who have been contending with a surge in such detentions. A statement from Chabad indicated that 25 out of 80 students on the flight were detained due to their status with the IDF. The Rabbinical Court of Chabad stated they are in contact with various authorities and have appointed a special representative to address the issue, aiming for humane treatment and swift release after their military status is resolved.

The article also expresses concern that the IDF is cooperating with what it calls a "despicable provocation" aimed at achieving political gains before the upcoming elections, noting that the IDF was recently urged by Deputy Attorney General Gila Limon to increase arrests of Haredi men.