There is widespread anger in the Chareidi community following the arrest of Moshe Steiner, a Bnei Brak resident who learns at a yeshiva on the moshav of Beit Meir.

Steiner was summoned Monday to the Lahav 433 offices to give testimony. After being questioned by investigators, he was informed that the questioning was over and that he was free to leave.

However, as soon as he walked out of the station and into the parking lot, he realized he was the victim of a planned ambush: Military Police officers were waiting for him and arrested him on the spot for “draft dodging.”

He was later sentenced to 20 days in military prison.

The incident was prominently featured Tuesday morning on the front page of Yated Ne’eman under the headline: “New Low in the Persecution of Torah: Yeshiva Bochur Arrested by Deception.”

His arrest is a violation of a directive issued by the Israel Police commissioner Danny Levy—that Chareidim designated as draft dodgers who come to police stations to receive civilian services or give testimony will not be arrested to avoid harming the public’s cooperation with law enforcement.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)