Groom jailed for 20 days after wedding arrest

Yaari Lieberman, a student at an ultra-Orthodox yeshiva, was sentenced to 20 days in a military prison on Sunday. The court handed down the punishment after Israeli Military Police arrested him just days after his wedding.

Police officers apprehended Lieberman while he and his wife were traveling to a family celebration. The couple was en route to a Sheva Brachot dinner, a traditional meal held in the week following a Jewish wedding. Witnesses reported that the officers were dressed in civilian clothing and did not wear identification badges.

The arrest occurred as the couple exited a bus. Reports indicate the officers located Lieberman by tracking his cellphone. His wife was not told the men were Military Police, leading her to believe her husband had been kidnapped before he was taken to a military facility.

Senior political figures from the Haredi community reacted with strong condemnation. Yitzhak Goldknopf, chairman of the Agudat Yisrael party, accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of failing to pass a law that would clarify the military status of yeshiva students.

"The arrest of a young groom in front of his bride in the midst of the Sheva Brachot festival is a new low in the hunt against Torah scholars," Goldknopf said. He added that the incident was a disgrace and demanded Lieberman's immediate release.

Goldknopf argued that Netanyahu bore responsibility for the situation because he had not fulfilled his commitment to advance legislation. "Prime Minister Netanyahu has not been able to keep his promise to pass a law that will regulate the status of yeshiva students, and the result is the disgraceful arrests we are witnessing," he stated.

Other party leaders joined the call for intervention. Yaakov Asher, chairman of United Torah Judaism, appealed to the defense minister on Sunday. "This is not a totalitarian state and not a police state," Asher said. "I demanded that the Defense Minister act for his immediate release and return him to his family and his happiness."

Yinon Azoulay, chairman of the Shas party, also moved to sign an urgent petition. The document called on the defense minister to secure the immediate release of the newlywed student.

This was the second attempt by Military Police to detain Lieberman. On October 6, officers arrived at his parents' home in the city of Modi'in to arrest him. Protesters gathered outside the residence and prevented the officers from taking him into custody for approximately two hours.

The incident highlights a growing dispute over the mandatory military draft for ultra-Orthodox men. The defense establishment is currently enforcing conscription requirements, while Haredi parties insist on new legislation to regulate the service status of yeshiva students. Leaders expect the recent arrest to trigger violent demonstrations in the coming days.

The lack of a specific law governing the military service of yeshiva students has led to ongoing controversy. As the government continues to enforce existing conscription rules, political tensions between the defense establishment and Haredi representatives have intensified.