Overview

• Dozens of senior roshei yeshiva from major chassidic courts gathered outside Military Prison 10 on August 15 to protest the detention of draft-eligible yeshiva students.
• Protesters rallied in solidarity with at least seven students jailed for refusing conscription, denouncing the state’s move as persecution of Torah scholars.
• An apolitical action committee of chassidic leaders coordinated the mass protests following a Ma’ale HaChamisha meeting two weeks earlier.
• Organizers have established round-the-clock legal and welfare support centers to assist detainees and their families.
• The standoff raises the prospect of sustained domestic unrest and broader political consequences if negotiations do not break the impasse.