Eight yeshiva bochurim who were imprisoned by Israeli military authorities over their failure to report for army service were released Friday from Prison 10, where they had been held for periods ranging from ten days to approximately five weeks. Their release comes amid continuing controversy over the arrest and imprisonment of chareidi yeshiva students under Israel’s military conscription laws.

Family members, friends and fellow bochurim gathered outside the military prison to welcome the eight young men, greeting them with singing and dancing as they emerged from detention. The celebration was organized with the assistance of the Nosenim Gav organization, which also presented the released bochurim with gifts.

Among those freed was Eliyahu Davda, a talmid at Yeshivas Orchos Meir in the Bayit Vegan neighborhood of Yerushalayim. Davda had been arrested by military police during an early-morning operation at his family’s home in Be’er Sheva and subsequently sentenced to 20 days in prison. Four days were deducted from his sentence, allowing him to return home Friday after 16 days behind bars.

His imprisonment had generated considerable concern among his fellow talmidim and the yeshiva’s rabbonim. The rosh yeshiva, Rav M. Vaknin, delivered words of chizuk to the bochurim, while members of the yeshiva participated in a gathering for tefillah and chizuk outside Prison 10.

Rav Avraham Salim also sent Davda a personal letter of encouragement and subsequently visited the yeshiva in Bayit Vegan, where the regular seder was interrupted so that he could address the talmidim.

Another bochur released Friday was Yakir Ralbag, who previously learned at Yeshivas Chevron in Givat Mordechai and currently attends the yeshiva headed by Rav N. Sosovsky in Beit Meir. Ralbag was arrested in Eilat earlier this month and transferred to military custody. Although initially sentenced to 20 days, he was released after serving 17 days.

Also released was Itamar Shoker, who served 20 days after being handed over to military authorities at a police station in Yerushalayim. Yishai Sogbaker, who was arrested at the Yerushalayim recruitment office, was likewise released after serving 20 days.

Uriel Elnatanov, who was detained at Ben Gurion Airport, completed a 20-day sentence, while Nehorai Dahan, arrested at the airport upon returning from Uman, was freed after serving ten days.

The remaining two released prisoners were Elchanan Neiman, a Chabad bochur who spent 17 days in detention, and Eliya Uzri, who was imprisoned for approximately five weeks after being arrested upon his return from Uman.

{Matzav.com}