Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar voiced strong opposition Wednesday to the imposition of personal sanctions on members of the haredi community, comparing their treatment to the period of the Inquisition and the expulsion of the Jews from Spain.
"I am always opposed to personally targeting members of the haredi community, because in my view, this is persecution of a Jewish community that studies Torah and believes its life depends on Torah study. I am against this," Zohar declared during an interview with Kan Reshet Bet.
He added, "I think this reminds me of the dark days of the Inquisition during the period of the expulsion of the Jews from Spain."
Zohar's remarks come amid growing tensions surrounding the military draft issue, one day after approximately 50 young Chabad Hasidim returning to Israel from a stay in New York were detained at the airport on suspicion of draft evasion.
The incident, in which some of the young men were released while others were handed over to military authorities, reignited the public debate over enforcement of mandatory military service and the arrest of yeshiva students.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also addressed the issue yesterday during an interview with the Kol Barama radio station.
Netanyahu expressed opposition to the arrests of yeshiva students, arguing that such measures undermine efforts to promote the integration and recruitment of haredim into the IDF through dialogue rather than coercion.
At the same time, the Prime Minister emphasized that young men who are not engaged in Torah studies are obligated to enlist. He expressed hope that the military draft law could be passed before the formation of the next government or, alternatively, at the beginning of the new term.
Netanyahu's remarks did not go unanswered in the political arena, drawing sharp reactions from opposition leaders Gadi Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett, and Avigdor Liberman.
All three strongly criticized his fundamental position on the arrests of draft evaders, accusing him of completely capitulating to the demands of the haredi parties at the expense of equality in sharing the burden of military service.