Yeshiva bochur arrested at 4 a.m. by military police

A bochur from Yeshivas Orchos Meir in Yerushalayim was arrested at his home in Beer Sheva early Wednesday morning by military police. Eliyahu Davda was taken at 4 a.m. from his family's residence, transferred to the military detention camp in the Bahad base city, and later moved to Prison 10, where a hearing on his case is expected in the coming hours.

The arrest is the latest in a series that began after the attorney general demanded renewed proactive enforcement against chareidi draft evaders.

Chareidi organizations involved in draft matters are are preparing protests in response.

Yeshivas Orchos Meir's rabbanim are holding discussions on how to proceed following the detention.

Rav Efraim Chemed, one of the yeshiva's rabbanim, told Kikar Shabbat: "We're talking about the best bochur in the yeshiva. I'm in complete shock. I learn with him in chavrusa every day, even during bein hazmanim for many hours. They came to his house in the middle of the night, at a quarter to four they pounded on the door forcefully in a threatening and frightening manner. The parents, out of fear in the middle of the night, opened the door before it would be broken down. The bochur managed to take his tefillin and what he needed."

According to Rav Chemed, attorney Shlomo Hadad is handling the case. "The yeshiva's rabbanim are shocked at how they took the bochur. Now we are discussing holding a protest rally outside the prison and conducting chizuk conversations with the family."

The yeshiva's rabbanim are expected to visit the home of the Rishon LeTzion, HaRav Yitzchak Yosef shlita, so he can decide on courses of action for the bochur's release.

The Beer Sheva arrest follows a dramatic incident in Modi'in, where military police attempted to detain a student from Yeshivas Or HaChaim, Yeiri Liberman, who is 20 days before his wedding. Hundreds of protesters arrived at the scene and the military police were forced to leave without making the arrest.

Simultaneously, two additional arrests occurred in Eilat, when a student from Yeshivas Chevron Knesses Yisrael and a newly married avreich from a Yerushalmi kollel were caught by military police and handed over to its custody.

The arrests are taking place against the backdrop of the attorney general's demand to advance draft enforcement against chareidi evaders. In a hearing held Tuesday, it was revealed that 64 evaders managed to leave the country without being caught and were arrested only when they returned to Israel.

Army officials announced that proactive enforcement will resume during October, in coordination between the military police and police stations. Between September 1 and 22, 212 evaders and draft dodgers were arrested at border crossings, of whom approximately 163 were assessed to be from the chareidi public.

A senior figure in one of the chareidi parties told Kikar Shabbat: "The situation we find ourselves in now, where there is no draft law and there are efforts by legal authorities to push the IDF and police to renew arrests that will clearly lead to riots and demonstrations, proves to us first and foremost that 'the Peleg Yerushalmi' was right over the years in all its claims on the draft issue."