A 23-year-old Chareidi resident of Mexico who was arrested last week upon arriving in Israel after being classified as a draft evader was released from Prison 10 ahead of Shabbos.

The young man, who got married only about a month ago and is a permanent resident of Mexico, landed at Ben Gurion Airport on Wednesday morning. He had come to Israel to visit his mother, who is suffering from a serious illness.

However, after passing through passport control, authorities discovered that he was designated by the military as a “draft evader.” He was immediately arrested by military authorities and transferred to Prison 10, sparking deep concern among his family members and members of the Chareidi community in Mexico.

After learning of the arrest, relatives contacted businessman and social activist Avitar Elbaz and asked him to intervene. Elbaz immediately became involved, contacting the relevant authorities and presenting the young man’s humanitarian circumstances.

Following intensive efforts and negotiations with officials, a decision was made after two days to release him from prison, allowing him to reunite with his family in Israel before Shabbos.

However, the situation is far from resolved. Israeli military authorities are currently preventing him from leaving the country and are seeking to forcibly draft him into military service, while his wife remains in Mexico.

As a result, the matter has now moved into the diplomatic arena, with pressure reportedly being applied through the Mexican Embassy in an effort to secure a resolution that would allow him to return home.

According to relatives, the young man was unaware that he was classified as a draft evader since he does not live in Israel.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)