Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef to his students: Netanyahu hates us - we must topple the right-wing bloc | Report
Students of Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef said he asked them not to vote for Shas and to topple the right-wing bloc, according to a report in Haaretz. The rabbi allegedly said Netanyahu and Religious Zionism hate the Haredim, but his office denied the claims. Meanwhile, Netanyahu said in a closed discussion that the detention law 'did not succeed', and Goldknopf attacked. Also cited is a previous wink by the rabbi to Eisenkot.
Students and associates of former Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef said he asked them not to vote for the Shas party in the upcoming elections, despite being a member of the party's Council of Torah Sages, and told them that the Haredim should topple the right-wing bloc, according to a report by Aharon Rabinowitz on the Haaretz website. One of his students said the rabbi stated that the right does not like the Haredi public, and that the left respects religion: "Netanyahu and Religious Zionism hate us, but the left respects - we can work with them." Rabbi Yosef's office denied the claims: "It never happened, it's sad that there are elements from within who spread lies in the rabbi's name, with the aim of sowing division." The article recalls that about a week ago the Prime Minister said in a closed discussion that the temporary detention law was meant to increase the number of recruits in the Haredi public, but admitted: "In practice it did not succeed - and therefore there will be no such law in the next government." Netanyahu promised to establish a broad national government that would pass a full conscription law, and emphasized: "Whoever does not study Torah will enlist - or go to prison." In response, United Torah Judaism chairman Yitzhak Goldknopf attacked and said the publication confirms that the Prime Minister does not intend to regulate the status of yeshiva students. Also cited is that about a month ago Rabbi Yosef "winked" at Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot, saying that "Netanyahu will not repent - Eisenkot maybe will." Eisenkot himself attacked the government and the conscription law at a conference in Dimona, saying that "those who failed on October 7 will not preach morality to us."