Criminal10/20/2026

Chabad Followers Arrested at Airport Offered Suspended Sentence in Exchange for Agreeing to Serve

More than 40 Chabad students returning from New York were arrested by the Military Police at Ben Gurion Airport for failing to report for enlistment. According to Ynet, those willing to begin active service were promised disciplinary proceedings, a suspended sentence and referral to a track accommodating the Haredi way of life.

Key facts

•More than 40 Chabad students were arrested
•Place of arrest: Ben Gurion Airport
•Proceedings: disciplinary
•Possible incarceration: Military Prison No. 10
•Legal basis: Defense Service Law
•The case number and the exact date of the decision are not provided

What Happened at the Airport

The students returned to Israel after a year of study at the World Chabad Center in the United States. The military knew of their arrival in advance and increased its presence at the airport; the passports of some of those returning were confiscated, after which the detainees were transferred to the Reception and Sorting Base at Tel Hashomer. The report describes them as persons liable for enlistment who failed to report for military service.

The Proposed Proceedings

Military sources said that the detainees who do not belong to a separate category of people whose cases are handled by the Military Advocate General’s Office were expected to face disciplinary proceedings. If they demonstrated a genuine willingness to serve, the plan was to impose suspended sentences on them, enlist them in the military and release them from detention. Refusal to enlist could have led to incarceration in Military Prison No. 10; for those whose cases were referred to the Military Advocate General’s Office, this procedure does not necessarily apply, and a prison sentence may be imposed.

Why the Previous Arrangement Did Not Protect the Students

An arrangement coordinated with the IDF had been customary for Chabad: the students spent a year abroad, returned to Israel and subsequently enlisted. However, as noted in the source, in the absence of “Torato Omanuto” status—recognition of Torah study as one’s primary occupation—such an arrangement has no legal basis. The IDF referred to the Defense Service Law and the obligation to ensure its equal application.

The Outcome Is Not Stated in the Source

The article describes the planned disciplinary proceedings and the conditions for possible release but does not report their final outcome. It does not confirm that most of the detainees have already agreed to enlist or were released under restrictive conditions. The case numbers, the date of the decision and details of the penalties imposed on each student are also not provided.

What this means for you

A person liable for enlistment may be arrested during border control if they have not complied with reporting requirements. Willingness to begin serving may be taken into account in disciplinary sentencing, but the procedure described is not guaranteed in cases referred to the Military Advocate General’s Office. The mere existence of an informal or administrative arrangement is no substitute for a legally recognized deferment of service.

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