[Video below.] A newly released video has sparked outrage in the chareidi community after revealing how Israeli military police allegedly used a fake package delivery to lure a yeshiva bochur out of his home in Yerushalayim’s Bayit Vegan neighborhood before arresting him for failing to report for military service.

The arrest, which took place Wednesday, was carried out so quickly that the bochur was reportedly unable to collect his personal belongings, clothing, or tefillin, or even say goodbye to his parents before being taken away.

According to a report by Channel 12, military police contacted the bochur’s family and informed them that a package had arrived for him and that he needed to come downstairs to sign for the delivery.

Believing that he was going to collect an ordinary package, the bochur left his home and went downstairs. Instead of finding a delivery person, however, he encountered military police officers who had been waiting for him.

Footage of the incident shows the bochur apparently recognizing the officers and attempting to move away. Another military policeman, positioned on the opposite side, intercepted him and prevented him from escaping.

Within approximately 20 seconds, the officers had apprehended the bochur, placed him inside a waiting vehicle, and closed the doors.

The entire incident was captured on video from a single angle, without audio, providing a glimpse of the tactics reportedly being employed by military authorities in their ongoing campaign to arrest yeshiva students classified as draft avoiders.

The operation appears to have been designed to bring the bochur outside without requiring officers to enter his home or engage in a prolonged confrontation at the entrance to the building.

The circumstances of the arrest have generated considerable anger within the chareidi community, particularly because the bochur was allegedly deceived into leaving his home and taken into custody without an opportunity to prepare for his detention.

Critics have described the incident as another troubling example of the military’s increasingly aggressive enforcement measures against yeshiva students who continue learning in accordance with the instructions of their rabbonim.

The footage comes amid a continuing wave of arrests of chareidi bochurim who have not reported for military service, a policy that has triggered demonstrations, public gatherings, and widespread condemnation from chareidi rabbonim and community leaders.

Organizations assisting imprisoned yeshiva students have also expressed growing frustration over what they describe as a decline in public involvement by chareidi elected officials.

According to Channel 12, activists involved in the protest movement claim that chareidi Knesset members who previously made a point of visiting arrested bochurim have recently been doing so less frequently.

The activists contend that the arrests require a stronger public response from the politicians elected to represent the Torah community.

Against that backdrop, representatives of the protest organizations have announced plans to organize another demonstration sometime next week. A specific date and location have not yet been determined.

Channel 12 contacted the IDF Spokesperson’s Office for comment regarding the Bayit Vegan arrest.

The military confirmed that the bochur had indeed been taken into custody but declined to provide additional information about the circumstances of the operation or his legal status.

The video has added another dimension to the growing controversy surrounding the military draft issue, showing the speed with which a yeshiva student can be apprehended after being drawn outside under what was reportedly the pretense of receiving a package.

For many in the chareidi community, the incident has reinforced concerns about the methods being used to apprehend bochurim whose refusal to enlist stems from their commitment to continue learning Torah under the guidance of their rabbonim.

{Matzav.com}