Tens Of Thousands Attend Gur Protest Rally At Military Jail Over Arrest Of Yeshiva Students

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Thousands of Gerer Hasidim gathered on Monday evening for a large prayer and protest rally outside the gates of Military Prison 10, led by the Gerer Rebbe and attended by the Machnovka-Belz Rebbe. Also present was United Torah Judaism chairman MK Yitzhak Goldknopf.

The demonstration, which lasted several hours, saw clashes between protesters and police and military personnel. Footage circulated showing several Hasidim shaking the prison’s perimeter fence while chanting, “Break it down! Break it down!”

חסידי גור ליד כלא 10. כמה מהם גם מפרקים גדרות. pic.twitter.com/M8CEatmyst

— (((IsraelMatzav))) (@IsraelMatzav) July 20, 2026

Organizers from the Gur community declared the event a success, saying: “We expected around 15,000 participants, but approximately 25,000 came. The goal was for the community to express its pain over the arrest of yeshiva students, and that was the most important message.”

Following the rally, a group of protesters traveled to Tel Aviv to demonstrate outside the home of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara. Protesters clashed with local residents and blocked the street of the Attorney-General in protest against her persecution of the Torah world in Israel.

The protests were held in response to the arrest of Yisrael Reuven Fine, a student at the Sfas Emes Yeshiva, who was imprisoned after reporting to the military draft office on three consecutive occasions in an effort to regularize his legal status.

According to sources in the Gur community, Fine’s original draft appointment was scheduled for the previous Monday. He mistakenly reported to the draft office in Jerusalem instead of the designated office in Haifa. Officials in Jerusalem directed him to Haifa, but by the time he arrived the office had closed, and he was instructed to return the following day.

On Tuesday, he returned to the Haifa office as instructed, but according to those close to him, his processing was not completed and he was again told to come back the next day. When he appeared for the third time on Wednesday, military officials informed him that because two days had passed since his original reporting date, he was now classified as a draft evader and was subsequently arrested.

This was the second rally held by the Gur Hasidic community outside Military Prison 10 within the past month to protest the imprisonment of yeshiva students. The previous demonstration was also led by the Gur Rebbe and included thousands of participants who recited the afternoon prayer, Psalms, and offered prayers calling for the release of the detained yeshiva students.