A group of chareidi demonstrators gathered Wednesday outside the IDF draft office in Yerushalayim, setting up a striking display patterned after the well-known hostage exhibits calling for the release of captives in Gaza.

In place of the familiar yellow chairs with photos of the hostages, the protesters arranged yellow chairs bearing pictures of chareidi bochurim who were arrested and imprisoned for alleged draft evasion. The symbolism drew a parallel between the plight of the hostages and the incarceration of yeshivah students for standing firm in their refusal to serve in the army.

The demonstration comes as gedolei Yisroel and community leaders have called for two separate protests to be held tomorrow outside the Beit Lid military prison in central Israel. These gatherings will decry the recent arrests and ongoing detention of several chareidi young men who resisted army conscription.

The planned rallies follow last week’s public announcement by chareidi leadership declaring “war” against an escalating campaign by the military to target and prosecute those in the olam haTorah who seek to continue their limud haTorah without compromise.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)