Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri on Monday sharply condemned the arrest of a 28-year-old yungerman from Be’er Sheva, accusing authorities of persecuting Torah students under the enforcement of Israel’s military draft laws.

Speaking during his party’s weekly faction meeting, Deri criticized the detention of the married kollel member, who is the father of a child with special needs and whose wife is currently pregnant. The man was reportedly arrested for failing to report for service under the Security Service Law, a move that Shas officials described as a “persecution of Torah learners.”

“What cruelty and wickedness to arrest a 28-year-old avreich, with a pregnant wife and a child with special needs, and throw him into prison for the crime of studying Torah,” Deri told fellow party members. “The world should be shocked by the persecution of Torah learners. We must not become accustomed to this.”

Deri also linked the arrest to what he described as a spiritually sensitive period for the nation, arguing that such actions carry broader consequences. “How much accusation and judgment this brings upon the people of Israel precisely during the difficult period we are in,” he said.

His remarks come amid heightened political tensions surrounding efforts to regulate the status of yeshiva students and their exemption from military service. Chareidi parties have warned against stricter enforcement measures and have placed responsibility on both political and defense officials for the current situation.