A passionate call for greater public involvement was issued Sunday evening by Rav Dovid Zucker of the Peleg HaYerushalmi, who expressed alarm over the growing number of bnei yeshiva and avreichim being held in military prison and urged the chareidi public to rally behind them.

Speaking on Kol Chai’s flagship news program hosted by Avi Mimran, Rav Zucker described the situation as intolerable, arguing that dozens of bnei Torah are currently incarcerated because of their commitment to Torah learning while much of the public remains insufficiently engaged.

According to Rav Zucker, approximately 40 bochurim and avreichim spent the past Shabbos in military prison, and that number has since risen, approaching 50 detainees.

He claimed that the arrests are far from random.

“I have unequivocal intelligence information,” Rav Zucker said, asserting that authorities are deliberately conducting arrests in more remote areas where they believe protests and public opposition will be slower to materialize.

At the same time, he said that the chareidi public has demonstrated an ability to mobilize even in those locations.

Recalling a recent incident at the Kiryat Yearim interchange, Rav Zucker said he was summoned late at night and initially assumed that few people would respond.

“I thought I would be the first and only one there,” he related. “When I arrived, there were already ten vehicles on the scene. Within minutes there were more than 200 people. Not only members of the Peleg HaYerushalmi, but people from across the entire chareidi community.”

A central theme of his remarks was the need to fundamentally change how the public views arrested bnei yeshiva.

According to Rav Zucker, a ben yeshiva who is arrested should not be viewed as a victim or as someone deserving pity. Rather, he said, such individuals are carrying the honor of the entire olam haTorah on their shoulders.

“He is not a victim,” Rav Zucker declared. “He is a kiddush olam. We stand behind him and admire him on the highest level.”

Rav Zucker sharply criticized what he described as the relatively muted response to the fact that dozens of bnei Torah are currently incarcerated.

“Fifty bochurim in prison, and it sounds normal? Where are we living, North Korea?” he exclaimed.

He argued that the chareidi public must respond not only through statements and condemnations, but through concrete action—visiting detainees, encouraging them, supporting their families, and participating in public protest.

Rav Zucker also called upon elected officials, community activists, roshei yeshiva, and the broader chareidi public to stand visibly alongside those who have been arrested.

“Where are the members of Knesset who can enter military prisons? Where are all the chareidi leaders who know how to organize and mobilize?” he asked.

He added that simply knowing they are not alone can have a profound impact on the morale of imprisoned bochurim.

Rav Zucker further argued that those who enter prison with a sense of purpose and pride in their commitment to Torah are far less likely to be broken by the experience.

Drawing on the experience of Peleg HaYerushalmi detainees over the years, he said that imprisonment does not intimidate those who are mentally and emotionally prepared for it.

“We will enter the prisons with joy, with a smile, and with strength,” he declared.

Host Avi Mimran responded that insofar as the discussion centered on supporting imprisoned bnei yeshiva and standing with the olam haTorah, he shared those concerns. At the same time, he emphasized that broader public policy questions and practical decisions remain matters for the gedolei Yisroel.

Rav Zucker replied that he was not challenging the authority of the gedolim, but rather calling upon the entire chareidi public to shake off its complacency and provide unwavering support for the bnei yeshiva currently behind bars.

{Matzav.com}