During a session of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee discussing the new draft law, Likud MK Moshe Saada said that the arrests of Bnei Torah are illegal.
Saada sharply criticized the conduct of law enforcement authorities: “I feel like we’re living in an era of gezeiros shmad. What is this? The committee chairman, MK Boaz Bismuth, must call for an immediate halt to this practice. First of all, it’s illegal and unequal—either you arrest all 80,000 yeshiva bochurim, which I personally think is inappropriate, or arrest none. You can’t randomly decide who to arrest and who not to. That’s unacceptable.”
The MK also addressed the issue of oversight of yeshiva students’ attendance. “In my view, there should be real supervision—but not biometric. Biometric monitoring is degrading. What’s appropriate for a state employee should also apply to a yeshiva bochur: attendance, yes; biometric tracking, no.”
Saada also voiced strong opposition to imposing sanctions on Bnei Torah. “I support revoking the sanctions. In my view, the right approach is to honor those who serve and provide benefits for them. The current sanctions are legally flawed. You can’t restrict a person from leaving the country; that’s a violation of personal freedom.
“I call on all the members of Knesset here—let’s rise above our political positions. Think about what’s right for the army and what’s right for Chareidi youth. Not sanctions, not arrests. It’s wrong legally, judicially, and practically.”
(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
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7 Responses
why is biometrics degrading. The goal of the yeshivos should be convincing Israeli public that Torah learners are genuine. What could be better than biometric statistics showing that bochurim shteig 16 hours a day without vacations?
AAQ:
Of course it’s degrading. Would you care to be required to use biometrics every day at work, liHavdil? If a normal salaried employee is not required to do so, then why should you want that for, liHavdil, lomdei Torah?
Every employee at the office i work in signs in with a fingerprint, and the kollel across the street does the same with their avreichim. I dont see what the bid deal is with biometric verificatiin of attendance.
AAQ, as he says, it’s degrading because state employees are not subject to the same thing. If they implement it for everyone then it won’t be degrading.
there are normal secular ppl in Israel that are not haters- nice to know.
“First of all, it’s illegal and unequal—either you arrest all 80,000 yeshiva bochurim, which I personally think is inappropriate, or arrest none”
Wait a second – if you are already bothered by ‘illegal and unequal’ – so out of all the various populations that do not serve – arabs, secular dodgers etc etc why is there no discussion even – let alone enforcement???
Looks like someone is finally calling a spade a spade