Yeshiva Student Arrested in Kfar Saba for Draft Evasion Sparks Protest

A student from a prominent Lithuanian yeshiva was arrested in Kfar Saba on Wednesday after being summoned for questioning at the local police station. It was discovered during his time at the station that he was classified as a draft dodger, leading to his transfer to military police custody. The incident occurred around 1 p.m. and prompted dozens of protesters to gather at the station in an attempt to prevent his transfer. Despite their presence, the student was ultimately handed over to the military police. Efforts are reportedly underway to secure his release.

The 'Tzeva Shahor' alert system, which provides immediate warnings for the arrests of yeshiva students, was activated. This system has been active in recent months. A similar incident occurred in Arad two weeks prior, where a police force was mistakenly identified as military police, triggering the 'Tzeva Shahor' alert and drawing hundreds of residents. However, it was later clarified that the force was not military.

This follows the arrest of 42 Chabad students the previous day upon returning from Brooklyn. Of those 42, 40 were released after agreeing to enlist and signing commitments. Two others were sent to military prison for evading service for over 540 days.

Additionally, two more yeshiva students were recently apprehended near Eilat by police on suspicion of traffic violations, including speeding, running a red light, and driving without a license. They were subsequently transferred to military police as draft dodgers. This incident follows the arrest of two other yeshiva students, Yedi'diah Mizrahi and Yonatan Mustakis, on a beach in Rishon LeZion last Thursday, who were also transferred to military police and sentenced to 20 days in military prison. In response to the wave of arrests, protests have been held, including a demonstration on Sunday where protesters blocked Highway 4 near the Yavne interchange, leading to clashes with police.