Lead

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday strongly condemned a haredi rabbi who cursed IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir during an anti-military draft protest in Bnei Brak. The rally, attended by hundreds of haredi men and led by former Sephardi chief rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, protested the drafting of yeshiva students to the army, according to a report by Ynet.

Netanyahu said, "Even when there are disagreements among us, there is absolutely no place for serious incitement against the IDF and its commanders who protect us all." Defense Minister Israel Katz also condemned the incitement, warning that "Red lines must not be crossed."

Coverage Comparison

The Jerusalem Post reported the initial protest and the subsequent condemnations, including those from Netanyahu, Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman, and Opposition Leader Yair Lapid. A follow-up article focused on the response from the family of the rabbi, with his son Yehuda Yazdi denying claims that his father receives state funding for his kollel.

The rally followed arrests of yeshiva students who had not reported for military service, following years of exemption for full-time Torah students, according to Ynet. Members of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party were also present at the rally, including MKs Yoav Ben-Tzur, Michael Malchieli, and Yonatan Mashriki.

Key Claims

  • Rabbi Aryeh Yazdi cursed IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir during a Bnei Brak protest, saying, "The cursed chief of staff, may his name and memory be erased, sent a soldier to prison because he put a Messiah note."
  • The protest was led by former Sephardi chief rabbi Yitzhak Yosef and attended by hundreds of haredi men, according to Ynet.
  • The rally followed arrests of yeshiva students who had not reported for military service.
  • Members of the Shas party were present at the rally.
  • Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the rabbi's remarks as "serious incitement against the IDF."
  • Avigdor Liberman called the protest "a national disgrace and a direct result of the draft-dodger government," accusing the government of supporting draft evaders to maintain power.
  • Opposition Leader Yair Lapid accused Netanyahu of remaining silent on the incitement.
  • Yehuda Yazdi denied that his father, Rabbi Aryeh Yazdi, receives government support for his kollel, saying, "He gets no shekel from the state." This contradicts a report that his kollel receives thousands in government support.

Perspectives

Netanyahu and government officials condemned the rabbi's remarks, emphasizing the need to respect the IDF and its commanders.

Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beytenu) accused the government of supporting draft evaders, framing the incitement as a "national disgrace" resulting from political choices.

Yair Lapid claimed Netanyahu remained silent on the incitement, pressuring the prime minister to respond.

Defense Minister Israel Katz warned against crossing red lines in public discourse regarding the military.

Yehuda Yazdi defended his father, arguing that the remarks were made in the context of perceived persecution of the haredi community. He claimed his father does not receive state funds and criticized the arrest of a soldier for wearing a "Messiah" patch.

Rabbi Aryeh Yazdi himself characterized Israel as an "impure country" and accused the army of "indoctrinating people into committing the most severe sins in the Torah."

The Shas party distanced itself from the rabbi's statements, saying they did not reflect the party's or the Council of Torah Sages' opinions.