UTJ chairman Yitzchok Goldknopf sent a strong letter to Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu on Monday, urging him to immediately free the young bnei Torah who were taken into custody at Ben Gurion Airport the day before, as they were on their way to spend Rosh Hashanah in Uman.
In his appeal, Goldknopf stressed that these young men must be given the ability to be with their families for Yom Tov and to daven in the shuls where they are accustomed to.
“I am deeply saddened that this has happened in our time, and in the Jewish state, bnei Torah are being arrested and their families harassed,” he wrote with anguish.
He pointed to precedents from past generations, saying, “From stories of Jewish communities in foreign lands many years ago, we have learned how they used to lobby prior to the Tishrei chagim in order to release prisoners so that they could pray in public on the days of judgment and celebrate the holidays with their families.”
The UTJ leader concluded his heartfelt plea with the words: “I hope, I very much hope that you, Prime Minister, will help release these people, and at least give them the opportunity to pray properly on Rosh Hashanah.”
His demand triggered sharp pushback, particularly in light of the charged atmosphere around the ongoing draft debate. Yair Weigler, who heads the National Religious Reservists Forum, lashed out: “We, the reservists, have not celebrated chagim at home for two years and have not been able to pray in the synagogue with our families. Throughout this time, you have been silent. Your Torah is silent.”
Weigler further remarked with criticism: “While IDF soldiers are fighting and giving their lives, there are those who seek to protect those who are not carrying the burden. We will pray in the field, on bases, and in the reserves. But we will not accept a reality in which there are first-class citizens and second-class citizens.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
Defectors?