Goldknopf to Netanyahu: “You Merit the Mitzvah of Redeeming Captives — Don’t Forget the Yeshiva Students in Jail”

United Torah Judaism chairman and MK Yitzchok Goldknopf sent a pointed letter to Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu ahead of Sukkos, praising him for advancing the deal to secure the release of the hostages while also criticizing aspects of the agreement and drawing a sharp comparison to the imprisonment of avreichim and bochurim jailed for avoiding army service.

“You are privileged to fulfill the mitzvah of pidyon shevuyim, bringing the hostages home to their families and to the entire nation,” Goldknopf wrote. “With Hashem’s help, this will take place soon—perhaps even during the festival of Sukkos, the holiday of joy and unity.”

However, Goldknopf did not refrain from expressing concern over the high price Israel is paying to finalize the deal. “The unbearable cost of this agreement includes the release of some 250 terrorists with blood on their hands—despicable murderers who left behind hundreds of bereaved families and thousands of wounded. You bear the responsibility to ensure that their release poses no threat to the safety of Israel’s citizens at any stage or in any way,” he cautioned.

In the closing section of the letter, Goldknopf shifted to a more critical and ironic tone, drawing a comparison between the freeing of convicted terrorists and the detention of Torah scholars. “I ask you to act for the release of those avreichim, men of Torah, who have been hunted down for the ‘crime’ of learning Torah and are now—lehavdil—sitting in Israeli prisons. They, too, deserve to celebrate Sukkos with their families,” he wrote.

Goldknopf concluded his message with a direct appeal to Netanyahu: “Mr. Prime Minister, be strong and courageous in standing up to the wicked forces that compel the Jewish state to imprison citizens whose only ‘offense’ is their devotion to Torah study. V’heishiv lev avos al banim—restore the hearts of the fathers to their sons.”

{Matzav.com Israel}