Sanz Rebbe Condemns Religious Zionist Leaders Amid Protest Over Hasidic Imprisonments

Thousands of Sanz Hasidim gathered on Thursday for a mass protest and prayer rally outside the military detention facility in Kfar Yona. The demonstration followed the sentencing of two community members to 20 days of actual imprisonment. The detainees include a married Torah scholar and father of two, and a yeshiva student who is the grandson of the former head of the Sanz yeshiva. Organizers claim the two were arrested inside the military recruitment office while attempting to arrange their exemption from army service, but were instead immediately taken to military jail on charges of draft evasion.

The highlight of the rally was the arrival of the Sanz Rebbe, who delivered a forceful speech to the assembled thousands. He framed the struggle as not merely about military conscription but about the legitimacy of the ultra-Orthodox lifestyle in Israel. "The battle is not just about Torah study, but about our Jewish identity," he said. "They want to uproot our way of life and make Israel like all other nations. But this very fight against us should strengthen us, proving that our Torah and commandments still make a great impact in this generation."

The Rebbe sharply criticized political figures within the Religious Zionist community, accusing them of collaborating in efforts that harm Torah scholars. "We must thank God that He separated us from the misguided," he said. "These are people who claim to observe commandments but are clearly enemies and fighters against the Torah and all that is sacred to us. We must be cautious and separate ourselves from them."

Despite his harsh words toward certain religious political leaders, the Rebbe conveyed a conciliatory message toward the broader Israeli public. He stressed that most secular and traditional Israelis respect religion, Torah, and the ultra-Orthodox community. "We must remember not to disparage fellow Jews, as most citizens appreciate religion and want their descendants to remain Jewish," he said. He accused a small group of anti-religious agitators controlling media and influence of falsely portraying their views as representative of the majority.

The Rebbe also shared that community representatives spoke with police officers securing the event, noting many officers expressed discomfort with their role in such cases. "They told me that during coordination meetings, most officers expressed regret and apologized for having to guard those sent to jail instead of appreciating Torah scholars," he recounted.