Judge Aharon Barak on Arrests of Yeshiva Bochurim: "A Bochur Is Walking Down the Street, and Suddenly They Arrest Him"

Former Israeli Supreme Court President Aharon Barak discussed Torah study, arrests of yeshiva students, his judicial record, and the Netanyahu trial during a recent interview with Rav Ido Weber-Erlich.

When asked about a recently enacted law declaring Torah study a supreme value of the Jewish people, Barak said, "Yes. There is no problem."

Rav Weber then raised the issue of arrests of yeshiva bochurim, saying, "These chareidim really are suffering. A bochur is walking down the street, and suddenly they arrest him." Barak did not dispute the characterization.

Reflecting on his judicial career, Barak acknowledged making mistakes. "Of course," He said when asked if there were rulings he regretted. He noted that he authored approximately 34,000 judicial decisions during his tenure. "Do you know how many rulings I issued in my lifetime? Thirty-four thousand. Small and large. Of course there are mistakes." However, he declined to identify specific rulings he reconsidered, saying, "I need to know myself that I made a mistake. Other people don't need to hear it."

When asked whether any mistakes concerned issues affecting Judaism and the chareidi community, Barak pointed to the Tal Law. He said he had ruled that "it served a proper purpose and was consistent with the values of the State of Israel." However, he disputed that the law was later struck down, stating, "We didn't cancel it. I didn't cancel it. I rejected the petition." According to Barak, the arrangement ultimately failed because "the army was not prepared to manage it. Therefore, all the arrangements contained in the Tal Law were never realized." He identified this as the beginning of today's draft crisis.

On President Netanyahu's ongoing criminal trial, Barak said he was unfamiliar with reports that judges had suggested prosecutors reconsider the bribery charge. "The judges are not supposed to say that, and the prosecution should take it into consideration. Yes, it should take it into consideration," He said when asked whether prosecutors should heed the judges' comments.