Netanyahu Urges Ministers to Defend Halting Arrests of Haredi Yeshiva Students

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is actively rallying his cabinet ministers to support the controversial law suspending arrests of Haredi yeshiva students who evade military service. Amid public and legal uproar over this law and the Basic Law on Torah Study, Netanyahu held private phone calls with ministers to counter claims that the arrest freeze undermines equality in military conscription. He dismissed such criticism as "false propaganda" that must be stopped immediately.

Netanyahu emphasized to his ministers that halting enforcement actions against Torah students is crucial to encouraging enlistment rather than hindering it. Citing evidence, he argued that increased arrests and friction actually reduce the number of recruits. He also highlighted backing from Religious Zionist leaders, including heads of Hesder yeshivas, who believe that threats of arrest severely damage efforts to integrate Haredi youth into the military.

The prime minister clarified that the government will not tolerate those who do not actively study Torah, stating that legal measures should be fully applied to them. However, forcibly arresting those engaged in Torah study is unacceptable, comparing such tactics to those used in Russia, which drew global condemnation. Netanyahu described Torah study as a national heritage that has sustained the Jewish people for centuries.

Regarding the backlash from left-wing and opposition parties against the recently passed Basic Law on Torah Study, Netanyahu minimized the controversy, calling it a "storm in a teacup." He questioned the opposition's objections, noting the law merely affirms Torah study as a fundamental value in Israel's heritage without imposing additional legal burdens.