Dozens of Chabad Bochurim Detained at Ben Gurion Airport After Returning From Kvutzah Year In 770
by CrownHeights.info
Dozens of Chabad bochurim returning to Israel Tuesday morning after spending a year learning in 770 Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights were detained by Israeli military police over unresolved military-service status, in a major enforcement operation at Ben Gurion Airport.
Approximately 80 bochurim from the 5786 Kvutza arrived on a flight from New York. The students, most around 19 years old, had spent the year in 770 and were returning to Israel.
According to a statement from Chabad quoted by Israel National News, 25 of the approximately 80 students on the flight were detained. Other Israeli media outlets, including Ynet and The Jerusalem Post, reported that more than 40 students were detained, with some reports putting the figure at approximately 50. Passports were reportedly confiscated from some of the bochurim as military police carried out the operation.
The detentions come amid changes to the arrangements governing military-service deferments for yeshiva students. Chabad has historically operated a framework under which bochurim travel to New York for a year of study at 770 before returning to Israel to continue their religious and communal work. The current dispute over military-service status has placed returning students at risk of detention if their individual circumstances are not recognized by the military authorities.
The IDF had advance notice of the group’s arrival and deployed military police to the airport. According to Ynet, the bochurim were subsequently transferred to the IDF induction center at Tel Hashomer, where they face proceedings over their military-service status.
In an official response, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said: “The Military Police Corps routinely enforces the Security Service Law, including at all border crossings, in coordination with the relevant authorities, including the Population and Immigration Authority.”
The military added that the individuals involved were legally obligated to enlist and would be dealt with according to the law, reiterating its position that it would continue enforcing military-service requirements equally.
A senior military official told Ynet that those who are not classified as draft evaders by the military prosecution would face disciplinary proceedings. Those who demonstrate a genuine willingness to enlist could receive suspended sentences and be inducted into the military. Students who refuse to enlist could face military prison, according to the report. The outcome for each bochur depends on his individual status and the proceedings against him.
Chabad’s Rabbinical Court has been working to address the situation. In a statement quoted by Israel National News, the court said its members had been in direct contact with relevant authorities through a specially appointed representative and had prepared for the flight’s arrival in coordination with families and other parties. The court said it was continuing its efforts to ensure humane treatment for the students and secure their release once their status with the military authorities was resolved.
The arrests have also drawn political attention amid the wider dispute over the enlistment of yeshiva students. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized the arrests of Haredi draft evaders in remarks reported by Israeli media, describing the move as unacceptable and arguing that it undermined efforts to reach an agreement on Haredi enlistment.