A second yeshiva bochur has been arrested and transferred to Israeli military police custody within a matter of days, raising renewed concerns over stepped-up enforcement against bnei yeshiva as the Elul zeman gets underway.
The Am Kadosh organization reported this evening that Yisroel Guchafi, a talmid who learned at Bais Medrash Elyon in Bnei Brak and recently transferred to Yeshivas Kfar Chassidim, was arrested in Haifa while traveling to Rechasim. According to the organization, the incident began after a problem arose with his Rav-Kav public transportation card. Guchafi was subsequently transferred to the military police.
Am Kadosh said it is providing Guchafi with legal assistance through attorneys and is also guiding and assisting his family in dealing with the relevant authorities.
In the wake of the arrest, the faction associated with Rav Tzvi Friedman is preparing to hold demonstrations as early as Monday. As of Sunday evening, an official time and location had not yet been announced. Based on previous demonstrations, however, one possibility under consideration is a protest along Highway 4 near the entrance to Bnei Brak during the afternoon hours.
Guchafi’s arrest is the second involving a yeshiva bochur in just several days.
Late Thursday night, Mordechai Mishkovsky, a talmid at Yeshivas Nesivos Yitzchok in Tel Aviv, was arrested near Ben Shemen Forest. Mishkovsky is a grandson of Rav Nosson Zochovsky, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Gaon Yaakov on Rechov Nechemiah in Bnei Brak.
Following Mishkovsky’s arrest, disturbances broke out near the Maccabim checkpoint as efforts were made to transfer him to military police custody.
According to details released following that incident, an alert distributed through the “Tzeva Shachor” system failed to bring a significant number of protesters to the location in time to prevent the transfer. Police ultimately succeeded in handing Mishkovsky over to the military authorities.
Mishkovsky was subsequently sentenced to 20 days in military prison after failing to report to the IDF recruitment office in accordance with the instructions of his rabbonim.
The two arrests come just days after Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara submitted a position to the High Court calling for the IDF and police to resume proactive enforcement operations and arrests targeting draft evaders from all sectors of the population, citing the principle of equal enforcement.
Her submission also noted the practical difficulties authorities face when conducting proactive arrests within the Chareidi community, particularly because such operations can trigger large-scale protests and disturbances.
Throughout bein hazemanim, there had been widespread concern that yeshiva bochurim could be arrested while traveling or taking trips around the country. Despite those fears, the vacation period concluded without significant incidents of that nature.
Now, with the beginning of the Elul zeman, two arrests in the span of just several days have once again heightened tensions surrounding the military draft, reporting requirements, and enforcement against yeshiva bochurim.
{Matzav.com}
