By COLlive reporter

A group of Chabad yeshiva bochurim returning to Israel after spending a year learning at the Central Chabad Yeshiva at 770 Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights were detained by Israeli authorities at Ben Gurion Airport on Tuesday morning, sparking widespread concern throughout the Chabad community and drawing reactions from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Knesset members, and Chabad rabbonim.

The bochurim, members of the 5786 Kvutza, were among approximately 80 students aboard a flight that landed in Israel Tuesday morning.

Upon arriving at passport control, the students were stopped by border authorities and military police because their military draft status had not been resolved with the Israel Defense Forces.

The students, many approximately 19 years old, had their passports confiscated and were separated from other passengers as authorities began processing their cases.

Families who had gathered at the airport to welcome their sons home after a year abroad were left waiting anxiously, uncertain when they would be reunited.

Israeli military authorities had reportedly been aware of the group’s expected arrival and deployed additional personnel to Ben Gurion Airport in anticipation of possible detentions.

The unusually large number of students arriving together created logistical difficulties for military police. Although authorities initially considered releasing the bochurim because of the challenges involved in processing so many detainees simultaneously, they ultimately proceeded with enforcement measures.

Some students were subsequently placed aboard a minibus for transfer to a military induction facility, where they could face disciplinary proceedings.

The detentions come amid Israel’s ongoing controversy over the military draft status of yeshiva students, following changes to the legal arrangements that previously allowed many full-time Torah students to defer military service.

For years, Chabad bochurim followed an established educational path that included a year of learning at 770 in New York, followed by continued Torah study, with military service arrangements handled under longstanding understandings with Israeli authorities.

The changing legal framework has complicated those arrangements, leaving some bochurim without properly resolved military status upon their return to Israel.

Chabad Rabbonim Working to Secure Release

The Chabad Rabbinical Court in Israel confirmed that it had been working with the relevant authorities even before the flight arrived.

In an official statement issued by Chabad spokesman R’ Shimi Segal, the organization confirmed the detentions and outlined efforts underway to assist the students.

“Following the letters regarding the draft decree published by the Chabad Rabbinical Court, the members of the Beis Din are in direct contact with the various parties through a special representative appointed for this purpose. Preparations were also made ahead of the flight’s arrival this morning, both through direct contact with the families and with all relevant authorities.”

Segal emphasized that efforts were continuing to secure the students’ release and ensure their well-being.

“The members of the Chabad Rabbinical Court have been working in recent days, and continue to work at this very hour, to ensure that the students receive humane treatment and, after their status with the military authorities is resolved, are released as quickly as possible to their homes and families.”

Netanyahu Condemns Detentions

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the controversy Tuesday morning during an interview with Kol Barama radio, expressing opposition to the arrests of yeshiva students.

“This is unacceptable,” Netanyahu said.

“We must preserve the world of Torah, because it is what preserved us,” the prime minister added.

Netanyahu argued that the arrests were undermining efforts to encourage military enlistment among Charedim without coercion.

“These arrests are a deliberate attempt to undermine the process of recruiting Charedim without coercion,” he said.

At the same time, Netanyahu distinguished between full-time yeshiva students and those who are not engaged in Torah study.

“I have great respect for the world of Torah, but someone who is not learning should go and enlist,” he said.

Knesset Members Demand Intervention

Knesset member Meir Porush, who has previously worked to address the military status of Chabad yeshiva students, sharply criticized the detentions.

“The sight of Chabad bochurim from Kvutza being detained at Ben Gurion Airport is contrary to the Law of Return and exposes the ugly face of the state’s judicial and incarceration authorities, all because of the ‘offense’ of studying Torah,” Porush said.

“I have worked in the past, and also over the past year, to arrange the status of Chabad yeshiva bochurim. I am currently in contact with officials in the IDF and the Defense Ministry in order to assist the Temimim who were arrested this morning at Ben Gurion Airport.”

MK Yaakov Asher, chairman of United Torah Judaism, also weighed in, raising concerns about the broader political implications.

“There is concern that this is a deliberate attempt to create chaos and disrupt the elections,” Asher said. “I call on Justice Solberg to intervene immediately and stop the disruption of the elections.”

The detentions prompted strong reactions from members of the Chabad community, with some questioning why communal representatives and political figures had not done more to prevent the situation.

In an impassioned appeal circulated Tuesday, a member of Anash expressed frustration over what he described as a lack of visible intervention on behalf of the detained students.

“Where are all the Chabad activists who boast about their connections in the Defense Ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office?” he asked. “Where are all the Knesset members who, during election season, know very well how to pose for photographs with every Chabadnik they encounter, smile for the camera, and make promises?”

“Now is not the time for pictures. Now is not the time for statements. Now is the time for action!”

He called on Chabad yeshivos, community leaders, and public officials to use their influence to help the students and their families.

“If you have connections, now is the time to activate them. If you have influence, now is the time to use it. If you know how to open doors, open them now, not when the next elections arrive.”

IDF Defends Enforcement

The IDF defended the actions of military police, saying the students were subject to the country’s military service requirements and would be dealt with according to the law.

“The individuals subject to military service who passed through the border crossing at Ben Gurion Airport are required to enlist and will face legal proceedings in accordance with the law,” the IDF said.

The military added that its police routinely enforce the Defense Service Law, including at border crossings, in coordination with the Population and Immigration Authority and other relevant agencies.

“The IDF will continue to enforce the Defense Service Law equally and ensure fulfillment of the duty to serve,” the military said.

As the Chabad Rabbinical Court continues discussions with military officials and political representatives seek to intervene, families are anxiously awaiting word on when the detained bochurim will be permitted to return home.

The incident has brought Israel’s ongoing draft controversy directly into the Chabad community, raising serious concerns about the future of the longstanding arrangements governing bochurim who travel to New York to spend a year learning at 770.