Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, a former Sephardi chief rabbi and member of the Shas party’s Council of Torah Sages, caused controversy by opposing the conscription of ultra-Orthodox Jews into the Israeli army. In a video recorded earlier this month, he said that “even those who are not studious should not join the army.” Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office quickly condemned the remarks: “Former Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef’s statement is unacceptable and deserves to be condemned. We will not accept any manifestation of refusal to serve, regardless of the nature of the statement. origin.”
To illustrate his point, Rabbi Yosef cited the example of yeshiva students who joined the IDF: “They became corrupt. They all became secular. Then they returned to religion,” he said. he asserted.
Shas spokesperson Asher Medina tried to downplay the controversy, telling Ynet: “Rabbi Yosef’s words were intended to highlight the vital need for appropriate structures for ultra-Orthodox youth wishing to get involved. He does not There is no call to disobedience in his words.”
The leader of the opposition, Yaïr Lapid, reacted strongly: “A call for desertion in times of war, moreover from someone who received a salary from the state in an official capacity, is a crossing of the red line which endangers democracy and compromises our future.”
This statement comes as Rabbi Yosef has just been named a member of the Council of Torah Sages, the spiritual governing body of the Shas movement. Some party members consider him the natural successor to his father, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, who founded the council after serving as Israel’s chief rabbi.
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