Orthodox Students Detained at Ben Gurion Airport Face Jail or Service

Dozens of Hasidim from the Chabad movement, returning from a year of study in the United States, were detained at Ben Gurion Airport on October 20 for draft evasion. They were brought to the IDF's central recruitment center in Tel HaShomer. According to IDF sources, those willing to serve will receive a suspended sentence and be released, while refusers will be sent to military prison.

More than 40 Hasidim who arrived from New York were detained by military police. These students typically spend three years studying in an Israeli yeshiva before dedicating a year to Torah study and prayer abroad, after which they become Chabad emissaries or marry. Some detainees had their passports confiscated, with authorities suspecting them of failing to report for enlistment.

The IDF was aware of the group's arrival and had increased police presence at the airport. While Chabad has an informal arrangement for students to study abroad for a year before enlistment, this agreement lacks legal standing. Orthodox journalist Schneur Weber, whose brother was among those detained, criticized the operation as "unintelligent and wrong," expressing hope that the courts would recognize it as counterproductive.

Chabad commented that the detentions were "terribly disappointing," highlighting the movement's significant percentage of IDF enlistees and calling the focus on Chabad students "a disgrace."

The IDF spokesperson stated that military police enforce the conscription law at all border crossings. The detained individuals are subject to enlistment and legal consequences. The IDF affirmed its commitment to equal enforcement of the conscription law and the duty to serve. A military source clarified that claims of some detainees being released were incorrect, and those not evading service but willing to enlist would receive a suspended sentence after appearing before a disciplinary court.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared the arrests "unacceptable" and suggested a law exempting Orthodox men from military service might be passed before the new government is sworn in. Naftali Bennett reacted by calling Netanyahu's actions a "deal" for power, while Avigdor Lieberman labeled the Prime Minister a "hostage" to draft evaders. The Shas party blamed the detentions on the government's legal advisor and instructed a Knesset member to demand the immediate release of the yeshiva students. The Likud party dismissed the incident as "another storm of fake news."