The Sephardi and Litvish Gedolim have declared a war against the persecution of Lomdei Torah in the wake of the arrests and imprisonment of two Sephardi bochurim this week on charges of draft-dodging.

The main headline on the front page of Thursday’s edition of the Yated Ne’eman newspaper states one word: ‘WAR.”

The lines underneath the headline state: “Police and military enforcement forces conducted overnight raids on the homes of bnei yeshivos with the goal of arresting them for the ‘crime’ of limud Torah. Two brothers, talmidei yeshivah, were arrested at their home in Tel Aviv, and their detention was extended yesterday in a military court.”

“Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara is leading a draconian campaign on several fronts simultaneously in an attempt to create an ‘irreversible’ conflict between state authorities and the Chareidi public.”

“Roshei Yeshivah, Rabbanim, and public figures in Eretz Yisrael and the Diaspora harshly condemn these escalatory steps as the crossing of a red line in the persecution of the Olam HaTorah. These reckless actions by the State of Israel are liable to severely harm its legitimacy to serve as a representative of the Jewish people.”

Inside the paper, an editorial states, “The leaders of the Israeli state have decided to place their heads in the guillotine…the drums of war are already pounding in their temples…the Jewish world is now uniting to fight for its very soul.”

“When it comes to the Torah—the result has already been decided: we have won. The only question is what will happen along the way and what price the persecutors will pay. Now it is no longer a request but a warning: אל תגעו במשיחי ובנביאי אל תרעו.”

The headline of Haderech, the Shas party’s newspaper, stated on Thursday morning: “A War For Hashem: The Olam HaTorah Prepares For A Staunch And Unprecedented Battle.”

The lines underneath the headline state: “Anger and disgust in the face of the despicable actions of the heads of the army who dispatched the military police to arrest lomdei Torah in their homes. Urgent consultations are being held in the homes of the Gedolei Yisrael ahead of the battle that will shake the whole world.”

“Rabbanim and askanim told HaDerech, ‘We’ll fight with mesirus nefesh for every ben yeshivah. We won’t give up on even one. All of Chareidi Jewry should prepare for a powerful battle.'”

HaGaon Chacham Moshe Tzadka, the Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshivas Porat Yosef, instructed the members of the Sephardi Torah world to hold a massive demonstration on Thursday at 5 p.m. at the Bar Ilan intersection in Jerusalem.

The members of the Eidah HaChareidit are expected to join the protest at the Bar Ilan intersection.

The Va’ad of the Hatzalas Olam HaTorah of Peleg Yerushalmi also issued a statement calling for a mass protest on Thursday at 5 p.m.: “Due to the serious escalation in the decree of shmad and the continued harassment of lomdei Torah in Eretz Yisrael by the wicked authorities and the criminal arrest of a talmid of Maorot HaTorah Yeshiva for the crime of limud Torah, the Rabbanim of the Va’ad went to the homes of HaGaon HaRav Ezriel Auerbach and the Roshei Yeshivos and received the instruction to launch a massive protest against the wicked government—masses of Bnei Torah for a huge protest in the streets of Jerusalem, at 5:00 p.m.”

“HaRav Auerbach and the Roshei Yeshivas expressed a harsh view of the situation: ‘Today everyone understands that we are in a fateful battle for the very soul of all of Chareidi Judaism. It is the duty of every Jew to go out and protest the terrible humiliation of lomdei Torah.'”

Another branch of Peleg Yerushalmi is scheduled to hold a protest in Bnei Brak, also at 5 p.m.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)