MK Avi Maoz Slams Arrests of Haredi Students at Ben Gurion Airport

Member of Knesset Avi Maoz fiercely criticized the arrest of dozens of students from the Chabad Hasidic movement upon their return to Israel from studies in New York. The students were detained at Ben Gurion Airport on Tuesday after arriving from a year of study in New York, with the intention of undertaking outreach missions in yeshivas across Israel. Maoz described the situation as absurd and hypocritical, highlighting that Chabad has one of the highest rates of enlistment among its members in the IDF within the Haredi sector. He argued that these students, who contribute to Jewish communities worldwide and serve as unofficial ambassadors for Israel, were being treated as criminals upon their return.

Maoz directly accused the government's legal advisor of persecuting the Torah study world, stating that the arrests were part of this alleged campaign. He announced that he had already contacted the head of the Manpower Directorate to address the issue and pledged to work tirelessly for the students' immediate release. Maoz committed to finding a systemic solution, ensuring that individuals wishing to study Torah can do so without persecution and that those who wish to enlist in the IDF, with rabbinical approval, can do so under conditions suitable to their way of life and faith.