Footage: Yeshiva Head Tears Up Draft Order — This Is the Amount the State Gives the Institution

The head of the Heichal Yitzchak yeshiva was filmed tearing up a military draft order in front of hundreds of his students during the Simchat Torah celebrations. The yeshiva received over 3 million shekels in direct state support in 2024. The incident adds to a previous controversy from June, when Rabbi Yosef Aryeh Yezdi called IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir "may his name be erased" in a speech against drafting yeshiva students.

The head of the Heichal Yitzchak yeshiva was filmed last night (Saturday) tearing up a military draft order in front of hundreds of his students during the Simchat Torah celebrations. The footage, which spread on social media, sparked public controversy given that the yeshiva received over 3 million shekels in direct state support in 2024. The incident joins a series of similar cases, including the harsh remarks of Rabbi Yosef Aryeh Yezdi last June, who called IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir "may his name be erased" during a speech at a protest against drafting yeshiva students. Yezdi claimed in his speech that Israel's success in wars stems from Torah study rather than military capabilities. Meanwhile, it was published that the kollel headed by Yezdi is state-funded, receiving 653,818 shekels in the last budget year, with support totaling over 10 million shekels in the past decade. The article highlights the gap between the conduct of yeshiva heads and the state's financial support for their institutions.