Haredi leaders unite in Jerusalem to establish a 24/7 support network for yeshiva students facing arrest over draft evasion.
Dozens of representatives from haredi yeshivas and communities across Israel gathered in Jerusalem on Sunday for the founding of the “Magen Umoshia” center — a new organization dedicated to assisting yeshiva students served with arrest warrants over draft evasion.
The meeting, framed as a rallying call for the community, featured a banner declaring: “A gathering of emissaries of the holy courts at the forefront of the battle for the soul of the nation.”
Heading the initiative, former Elad Mayor Yisrael Porush unveiled the center’s mission:
“We will run a professional guidance system for yeshiva students, provide legal and emotional support for every detainee, assist affected families, operate a 24/7 emergency hotline, and lead public activities under the guidance of Torah leaders.”
Speaking to Kol Barama Radio on Monday morning, Porush described the haredi community’s situation as “challenging and uncertain,” pledging to help every arrested yeshiva student regardless of sect or political affiliation.
The center’s services will include immediate post-arrest assistance, legal counseling, emotional support for detainees and parents, and coordinated public advocacy.
Porush stressed that this is a defining moment for the Torah world:
“When the critical hour comes, the haredi world will stand united. All of world Jewry feels the pain of what is happening today.”
The “Magen Umoshia” launch signals a new, organized front in the haredi community’s resistance to expanded military conscription, positioning the group as both a legal shield and a morale lifeline for its young Torah scholars.
