Yeshiva Student and Grandson of Rabbi Nathan Zuckowski Arrested Near Ben Shemen Forest Amid Clashes

On a Friday night in the Hebrew month of Elul, a yeshiva student was arrested near Ben Shemen Forest and handed over to the military police for studying Torah while being absent without leave from the Israel Defense Forces. The detainee was identified as Motti Mishkovsky, a student of the Netivot Yitzchak Yeshiva in Tel Aviv, who had transferred there from Beit Matityahu. Mishkovsky is the grandson of Rabbi Nathan Zuckowski, head of the Gaon Yaakov Yeshiva and chairman of the spiritual committee of the Yated Ne'eman newspaper.

The arrest took place near Ben Shemen Forest, but due to a "black flag" call, students could not gather there, leading to disturbances at the Maccabim checkpoint where clashes with police occurred. Footage from the scene shows the unrest near the checkpoint.

This incident follows a recent directive by the State Attorney Gali Baharav-Miara, issued two days earlier, mandating the IDF and police to resume proactive operations and arrests of draft evaders from all sectors, emphasizing equality. The State Attorney's response to the High Court of Justice also highlighted the significant challenges in conducting such arrests within the ultra-Orthodox community due to widespread public disorder accompanying these actions.