Military police carried out an arrest operation in the north overnight Wednesday and attempted to arrest bnei yeshivos in the city of Kiryat Ata.

One yeshivah bochur was arrested at home at 1:45 a.m. and transferred to military prison. The police also attempted to arrest another yeshivah bochur at his home at 3:43 a.m., but he managed to escape under the cover of dozens of protesters from Peleg Yerushalmi who were called to the scene.

Additionally, military police attempted to arrest a ben yeshivah at his parents’ home in Be’er Sheva but left the scene when they discovered he wasn’t at home.

Kan Moreshet reported that the IDF also arrested five non-Chareidi deserters, which seems to prove reports that the IDF is carrying out general arrest operations but is not specifically targeting Chareidi deserters or entering Chareidi cities.

Nevertheless, it is the first time in Israeli history that lomdei Torah are being defined as “criminals” and are being arrested at their homes in the dead of the night and imprisoned.

At the instruction of Gedolei Yisrael, a tefillah rally with the participation of hundreds of Roshei Yeshivos is scheduled to take place on Thursday outside the military prison where the detained yeshivah bochurim are being held.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)