Peleg Delays Protests After Military Negotiations

Negotiations at Critical Juncture

"In light of significant developments in contacts with military authorities, and following serious and advancing negotiations conducted in recent hours regarding the release of a large number of yeshiva students and avreichim from military prison, it has been decided to postpone the planned demonstrations by 24 hours," the committee conveyed in its official statement.

The announcement emphasized that the postponement reflects genuine progress in discussions. "This is not a drill or deception," organizers clarified, addressing speculation that the notice might be a tactical maneuver. The statement marked a departure from previous Peleg protest strategies, where misleading location announcements were used to outmaneuver police preparations.

Weekend Arrests Sparked Crisis

The planned demonstrations were triggered by an escalating wave of arrests targeting yeshiva students who refused military induction in accordance with rabbinic directives. On Friday evening, two students from Yeshivat Maalot HaTorah, both aged 21, were detained by traffic police on Route 6. Among those arrested was Michael Petrov, son of the yeshiva's Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Yosef Petrov.

A particularly dramatic confrontation unfolded after midnight Saturday night on Route 1 near the Kiryat Yearim interchange, where police attempted to transfer a yeshiva student to military custody. Dozens of protesters who rushed to the scene blocked the highway in a tense standoff that lasted several minutes before authorities released the student and withdrew from the area.

HaGaon Rabbi Azriel Auerbach, leader of the Peleg Yerushalmi, had issued an urgent call earlier Sunday for all faction members to participate in the protests. "This is no time for silence," Rabbi Auerbach declared. "There is a double and redoubled obligation upon every ben Torah, wherever he may be, to protest the degradation of Torah and its students, against the criminal arrests and against military authorities and their collaborators from within and without."

Conditional Postponement

The committee emphasized that the delay is contingent on continued progress in negotiations. "To the extent that sufficient breakthroughs do not occur, protest actions will continue with full force," the statement warned. "Updated details regarding demonstration schedules and the results of contacts will be published subsequently."

The announcement represents a significant shift in the faction's approach, which had been preparing for what was expected to be one of the largest coordinated protest actions in recent months. Earlier reports indicated that demonstrations were planned for multiple locations, with specific sites to be announced closer to the scheduled time to prevent police from establishing preventive measures.

Behind the scenes, Peleg leadership had been conducting intensive discussions in recent days regarding the wave of arrests. Among the strategies considered was sending hundreds of yeshiva students simultaneously to military recruitment offices to overwhelm the system and force a policy reassessment.

However, the IDF Spokesperson said: