Israeli government officials slam chief rabbi’s threat of haredi exodus

Israeli leaders on Saturday and Sunday slammed the Chief Rabbi of Israel’s threat that ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel “will all move abroad” if the government enacts a compulsory draft of religious Jews into the IDF.

Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef’s comments came during a weekly Saturday evening lesson.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid lambasted the chief rabbi’s remarks the following day, stating, “Rabbi Yosef’s words are an insult and disgrace to the IDF soldiers who risk their lives to defend the country. Rabbi Yosef is a state employee with a salary from the state, he cannot threaten the state.”

In a post to X on Saturday night, Minister Benny Gantz, the chair of National Unity, joined Lapid in condemning Yosef’s remark.

אחרי 2000 שנות גלות חזרנו לארצנו. נילחם עליה ולעולם לא ננטוש אותה.דברי הרב יוסף הם פגיעה ערכית במדינה ובחברה הישראלית. כולם צריכים לקחת חלק בזכות הקדושה לשרת ולהילחם על מדינתנו, במיוחד בשעה קשה זו.גם אחינו החרדים.

— בני גנץ – Benny Gantz (@gantzbe) March 9, 2024

“We will never abandon our land”

“After 2000 years of exile, we returned to our land. We will fight for it and never abandon it. Rabbi Yosef’s words are a moral affront to the state and Israeli society,” Gantz said. “Everyone should take part in the sacred right to serve and fight for our state, especially in this difficult time. Even our haredi brothers.”

Yisrael Beytenu chairman MK Avigdor Liberman also voiced his opposition to the rabbi’s declaration. 

Liberman, who has been critical of the government in recent weeks, even going so far as to call on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to step down and for the country to have elections, wrote in a Saturday post on X, “Without duties, there are no rights. It’s a shame that Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef and some other haredim continue to undermine Israel’s security and act contrary to Jewish law.”

Liberman went on to quote the book of Numbers from the Hebrew Bible.

בלי חובות אין זכויות. חבל שהרב יצחק יוסף והעסקנים החרדים ממשיכים לפגוע בביטחונה של ישראל ולפעול בניגוד להלכה.וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה לִבְנֵי גָד וְלִבְנֵי רְאוּבֵן הַאַחֵיכֶם יָבֹאוּ לַמִּלְחָמָה וְאַתֶּם תֵּשְׁבוּ פֹה?

— אביגדור ליברמן (@AvigdorLiberman) March 9, 2024

“And Moses said to the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, ‘Are your brothers to go to war while you stay here?’” Liberman wrote.

Education Minister Yoav Kisch, of Likud, also had a response to the chief rabbi’s words.

“Serving in the Israel Defense Forces is a great privilege,” Kisch said on Saturday. “Living in the State of Israel is no less a great privilege. Our generation is fortunate to be able to defend the people of Israel and the country. When we fight for our right to live here, every member of the Israeli people should [be involved].”

The condemnation of Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef’s statement was not universal among Israeli leadership, however.

“Take off your shoes before you speak disparagingly towards the chief rabbi, who expressed a clear and resolute opinion about the tremendous right of Torah scholars who defend the land,” the Sephardic haredi Shas Party declared in a Sunday statement, also alluding to the Hebrew Bible. “Those who silently encourage the insubordination of organizations opposing the judicial reform should not lecture us about morals.”

Lapid later responded to the Shas statement, criticizing the party for redirecting the topic to judicial reform.

“There’s no such thing as ‘silent enouragement.’ I oppose insubordination, I oppose evasion, I oppose the threats of leaving the land,” the opposition leader declared. “Can we return to the main point? The main point is that if 66,000 Haredi youths enlist, the IDF will receive 105 new battalions essential for Israel’s security.”

Otzma Yehudit took a less contentious approach to the rabbi’s statement.

“Serving in the IDF is an immense right of a Jew who defends himself in his own land and a great commandment,” the right-wing party said. 

“In King David’s army, there were Torah scholars. We do not believe in coercing the haredi community to enlist, and things should be done with understanding and love. 

Much of the controversy can be resolved through appropriate recruitment. We will never leave our holy land!”

Eliav Breuer contributed to this report.

JPost