A protest rally is underway outside a military prison, attended by yeshiva students, Shas Council member Rabbi Yehuda Cohen, and two Shas MKs, according to journalist Eli Hirshman. The demonstration is against the arrest of a draft evader who is a graduate of the yeshiva.
Thursday 19:46 Jerusalem — A protest rally outside Prison 10 in Jerusalem is now being attended by Shas Council member Rabbi Yehuda Cohen and two Shas MKs, according to journalist Eli Hirshman. The demonstration, which began earlier this evening, centers on the arrest of a draft evader who is a graduate of the hardline Be'er BaTalmud yeshiva. The involvement of mainstream Sephardic political and religious figures marks a notable escalation in the breadth of the protest, which The Zioneer reported at 12:26 Jerusalem as a scheduled rally with yeshiva rabbis in attendance. By 19:32, Shas MKs Yitzhak Malchieli and Moshe Shariki were reported at the scene alongside Sephardic rabbis, and the current report adds Rabbi Yehuda Cohen.
The rally is part of a broader wave of Haredi demonstrations this week against military conscription enforcement. On Wednesday 17:35 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported extremist Haredi protests outside the Beit Lid military base. Earlier, on Monday 13:49 Jerusalem, protesters blocked the Gilat Junction. The prison protest at the Russian Compound was the focus of multiple updates today, evolving from a planned yeshiva-led rally into an event drawing senior Shas figures. The initial report at 12:26 was based on Israeli media; by 19:32, journalist Eli Hirshman's on-the-ground reporting confirmed the presence of MKs and rabbis.
The protest occurs amid a broader enforcement crackdown that has seen dozens of yeshiva students detained. As The Zioneer reported on Thursday June 11 at 21:12 Jerusalem, 47 yeshiva students and married scholars were being held in Military Prison 4. The Sephardic rally is taking place alongside larger Haredi protests in central Jerusalem, including disruptions to the light rail.
It remains unclear whether the arrested yeshiva graduate has been formally charged or will face further detention. The number of additional detainees taken during tonight's protest has not been independently confirmed.
4 developments
- DevelopingRally outside military prison for draft-dodging yeshiva graduate draws MKs, rabbi
- StrongExtremist Haredim protest outside Beit Lid military base against draft-evader arrests
- DevelopingHaredi protesters try to block extradition of draft evaders to military police in Jerusalem
- StrongProtesters rally outside top court nominee's home over arrest of draft evader
Source and signal
- Internal intake