BEIT LID (VINnews) – Thousands of members of the Gur Hasidic community, Israel’s largest Hasidic group, gathered Wednesday outside the gates of the IDF’s Military Prison 10 in a rare public demonstration against the arrest of one of their own for draft evasion.

The protest, which drew an estimated more than 8,000 participants according to police, was led by the sons of the Gerrer Rebbe and community rabbis. It marked a notable departure from the Gur movement’s traditionally restrained approach to public protests, compared to more activist Haredi factions.

Organizers said around 30 buses departed from Arad alone to reach the prison in Beit Lid. The rally began at 4 p.m.

Community leaders described the demonstration as an unusual step, triggered by the arrest of a Gur-affiliated yeshiva student who, according to supporters, had voluntarily gone to a military recruitment office to arrange his legal status but was immediately detained and sentenced to prison.

The IDF deployed forces around the facility out of concern that protesters might attempt to breach the base.

The incident highlights ongoing tensions between Haredi communities and Israeli authorities over draft exemptions for full-time yeshiva students, a divisive issue that has fueled protests and political friction in recent years.