“IS THIS ABOUT YOUR EGO?” Shas MK Blasts IDF Over Arrest of Newlywed Chosson, Demands Immediate Release
Shas MK Yinon Azulai unleashed a blistering attack on the Israeli military Sunday over the arrest of a newlywed yeshiva bochur during his Sheva Brachos, accusing military authorities of deliberately humiliating the young couple and questioning whether the arrest was motivated by political considerations rather than legitimate military needs.
Speaking to Avi Mimran on Kol Chai radio’s central news broadcast, Azulai demanded to know why military police could not have waited several days before arresting the chosson, who was detained in front of his new wife as the couple traveled to a Sheva Brachos celebration.
“Here you have a chosson, in the middle of his Sheva Brachos. They wait for him as he gets off the bus, they pounce on him, and he was still holding his belongings,” Azulai said.
“If you’re following him, then follow him for another two days, another three days. What are you trying to prove? Are you trying to show off your ego?”
The arrest, which resulted in a 20-day military detention sentence, has generated widespread anger in the chareidi community and prompted efforts by Shas and United Torah Judaism lawmakers to secure the chosson’s immediate release.
The young man, a baal teshuvah who became a dedicated yeshiva student after returning to religious observance, was apprehended by military police shortly after stepping off a bus with his kallah. The couple had been traveling to a Sheva Brachos scheduled for that evening.
Azulai said the military’s decision to arrest the young man at that particular moment demonstrated an extraordinary lack of judgment and sensitivity.
“Where is your judgment? What do you want? To be part of the political game?” he demanded.
“Do you want to create even more division and discord?”
The Shas lawmaker stressed that the chosson was a genuine ben Torah whose commitment to learning was beyond question.
“This is a real bochur, sitting and learning, not stories,” Azulai said, rejecting any suggestion that the young man’s yeshiva status was merely a pretext for avoiding military service.
Azulai revealed that chareidi lawmakers were circulating a petition among their Knesset colleagues addressed to Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, demanding that the newlywed be released immediately.
He said the effort was being pursued through multiple channels, including direct contacts with the family and discussions with relevant officials.
“We are making efforts behind the scenes, publicly, wherever possible, and we are also in contact with the family,” Azulai explained.
“It is inconceivable that a chosson, during his Sheva Brachos, should simply be taken away like this.”
The lawmaker indicated that the campaign to secure the chosson’s freedom could also involve President Isaac Herzog.
He said an appeal to the president had been considered, although he argued that Herzog should recognize the seriousness of the situation without waiting for a formal request.
“I hope that when the president hears about something like this, he himself should get up and take action,” Azulai said.
The arrest was reportedly preceded by earlier attempts to apprehend the young man, including an operation at his family’s home that was thwarted after large numbers of neighborhood residents gathered in protest.
According to accounts from individuals close to the chosson, the earlier efforts forced him to remain away from home in the weeks leading up to his wedding, fearing that military police would arrest him before the marriage could take place.
The latest arrest occurred during the Sheva Brachos celebrations, when military police intercepted the couple as they traveled together.
The circumstances have intensified public anger, particularly following reports that the kallah was left deeply distressed by the incident.
Plans have since been announced for a mass gathering outside the military prison, including a public Sheva Brachos celebration intended to demonstrate solidarity with the newlyweds and protest the detention.
