HaRav Asher Abramowitz, a Rosh Mesivta in a yeshiva in Jerusalem, spoke to Kol Chai after accompanying a talmid who was arrested, visiting him in military prison, and attending hearings at the military court. He said that although he does not usually give interviews, he chose to reveal the details because “the public simply is not aware of what is happening.”

The Rav said that what shook him most was seeing his talmid sitting behind a glass partition in the courtroom. “Instead of sitting in the Beis Medrash and learning, he was sitting in court like one of the criminals,” he said. He added that the main difficulty is not the physical conditions, but the humiliation the bnei yeshivos are subject to, including restrictions on phone calls with family members and degrading treatment by staff members.

The Rav also described the daily routine in prison: early wake-up, lengthy roll calls, prolonged standing in front of commanders, extended periods in closed rooms, and various restrictions. He said his talmid was even punished after learning for a few extra minutes after davening by being denied use of the phone for three days. He added that the bnei yeshivos also encounter difficulties in religious matters, including kashrus issues and the ability to learn Torah quietly.

At the end of the interview, he said the image that will remain with him is the sight of his broken talmid on the first day of detention. “He told me: ‘HaRav, it is impossible to survive here,'” he recalled.

The Rav concluded by asking the public to identify with the pain of the detainees and understand that “there is a bachur here who, instead of sitting in the Beis Medrash, was taken in handcuffs and humiliated.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)