Thousands of Gur Hasidim Protest Outside Military Prison Over Arrest of Yeshiva Student

On the night of July 20, thousands of Gur Hasidim gathered outside Military Prison 10 to protest the detention of Israel Reuven Fein, a yeshiva student from the "Sfat Emet" institution, who was sentenced to 20 days in jail for refusing to report for military service. The protest escalated into clashes with police forces, involving pushing and disorder. Social media footage showed Moti Babchik, a senior figure in the Gur Hasidic community, physically confronting a protester. Babchik explained that about 22,000 people attended the prayer rally, exceeding expectations and creating safety concerns, which led him to intervene to prevent harm.

Later in the night, some protesters moved to Tel Aviv and demonstrated near the home of the State Attorney, Gali Baharav-Miara, where violent confrontations with civilians also occurred. The military increased security around the prison amid fears of a breach, deploying additional police units.

The arrest of Fein stems from the military classifying him as a deserter after he failed to report on time. The Gur community disputes this, claiming Fein repeatedly attempted to regularize his status. According to the community, Fein mistakenly went to the recruitment office in Jerusalem instead of Haifa on his enlistment day, was redirected to Haifa where the office was closed, and was asked to return the next day. On his third visit, he was informed he was two days late and thus considered a deserter, leading to his arrest and imprisonment.