A storm of controversy is swirling following the publication of footage from the wedding of a son of Rav Shalom Ber Sorotzkin, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Ateres Shlomo, last night.
The video, originally broadcast by Sparks of a Nation, shows the rosh yeshiva leading thousands of his talmidim in singing the Neturei Karta anthem, igniting fierce political backlash.

In response, MK Vladimir Beliak of the Yesh Atid party has called on the Ministries of Welfare and Education to revoke government funding for the yeshiva.
Beliak has also escalated his efforts by appealing to Tax Authority Director Shay Aharonovich to revoke the yeshiva‘s tax-exempt status under Section 46 of the Income Tax Ordinance, which grants tax benefits to donors supporting recognized public institutions.
In a letter to the government ministries, Beliak wrote: “It is inconceivable that public funds should be used to support an institution that promotes such dangerous principles. Therefore, I request the immediate revocation of all grants and financial support received by the Ateres Shlomo Yeshiva network in Israel.”
In his letter to the Tax Authority, he further demanded: “I request the immediate revocation of this institution’s approval for tax-deductible donations under Section 46 of the Income Tax Ordinance.”
The controversy has sparked intense reactions across the political spectrum. MK Matan Kahana of the National Unity party denounced the video, writing: “As you watch this footage of thousands of chareidim singing about rejecting the state and refusing to report to the draft office, remember that the government allocates over 50 million shekels specifically to the yeshivos where these individuals study—50,000,000 NIS! …Meanwhile, 400,000 emergency draft notices are prepared to be sent to reservists for their fourth and fifth rounds of service, yet [Finance Minister Bezalel] Smotrich still refuses to dismantle the political alliance with those dancing and singing in this video, continuing to fund them with billions.”
In a rare move, the Religious Zionist Party, led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, issued a terse response to the video, stating simply: “Busha v’cherpa – A disgrace and a shame.”

{Matzav.com Israel}The post Controversy Erupts Over Ateres Shlomo Yeshiva Funding Following Wedding Video first appeared on Matzav.com.