Benjamin Netanyahu criticizes arrests of Haredi men at Ben Gurion Airport

Israeli military police detained dozens of Haredi men at Ben Gurion Airport on Tuesday morning following their arrival from the United States. The group consisted of approximately 80 Chabad yeshiva students, many around 19 years old, who had spent a year studying at the Central Chabad Yeshiva in Crown Heights, New York. Authorities intercepted the students during passport control due to unresolved military draft status.

Reports indicate that military police had received advance notice of the group’s arrival and deployed additional personnel to facilitate the detentions. Some students were placed on a minibus to be transported to a military induction facility for disciplinary proceedings. Those who agree to enlist immediately may receive suspended sentences, while those who refuse face trial.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized the enforcement action, stating that such arrests sabotage the process of integrating the ultra-Orthodox community into the Israel Defense Forces. He argued that detaining yeshiva students does not encourage enlistment and described the arrests as a “deliberate attempt to harm the process of drafting Haredim without coercion.” The incident has sparked significant concern and outrage within the Chabad and broader ultra-Orthodox communities.