Mir Yeshiva Head Bans Students From IDF Recruitment Offices Amid Arrests

Following the arrest of a student last week, Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda Finkel, head of the Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem, issued a sharply worded directive forbidding students from appearing at IDF recruitment offices or leaving Israel without explicit approval. The Mir Yeshiva, the largest Torah institution in the Jewish world with thousands of students, is facing escalating tensions over military conscription.

Rabbi Finkel described the current situation as a "season of persecutions" and announced the formation of a special emergency committee composed of rabbis, educators, and professionals. This committee will serve as the sole legal channel for students to handle matters with the Israeli military authorities. He warned against independent attempts by students or activists to seek exemptions, stating such actions risk immediate conscription or arrest.

The directive imposes two strict rules: students must not report to recruitment offices without written permission from the committee, even if they believe they are exempt, and they are prohibited from traveling abroad without prior committee approval due to fears of arrest at passport control for draft evasion.

Rabbi Finkel emphasized zero tolerance for disobedience, warning that violators will be excluded from the yeshiva and bear personal consequences. The letter also provides detailed legal guidance for students if arrested, instructing them to immediately contact the committee’s representative, exercise their right to silence, only provide their name and ID, and respond to investigators with the phrase, "The lawyer will answer you."

The letter concludes with a call for spiritual reflection, urging increased study and prayer as the ultimate response to governmental decrees.

Summary: Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda Finkel of Jerusalem’s Mir Yeshiva forbids students from independently engaging with IDF recruitment or traveling abroad without committee approval following a student’s arrest, establishing strict legal protocols and emphasizing spiritual resilience amid rising conscription pressures.

Points: - Mir Yeshiva head bans students from IDF recruitment offices without committee approval. - Students cannot leave Israel without prior permission due to arrest risks. - An emergency committee now exclusively handles all military conscription matters. - Independent exemption attempts risk immediate arrest or conscription. - Arrested students must contact the committee, remain silent, and defer to legal counsel. - Rabbi Finkel calls for increased study and prayer as a spiritual response.

Topic: security

Entities: {"people":["Eliezer Yehuda Finkel"],"organizations":["Mir Yeshiva","IDF"],"places":["Jerusalem","Israel"]}