Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s office on Sunday strongly condemned former Sephardi chief rabbi Rav Yitzchok Yosef’s statement that even chareidi men who are not studying in yeshiva should not serve in the Israel Defense Forces.
The rabbi’s words are “unacceptable and worthy of all condemnation,” said the PMO, adding, “we will not accept expressions of insubordination from any side.”
Rav Yosef sparked outrage by saying in remarks made public on Sunday that “it is forbidden to go to the army, even for one who is idle.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog also condemned the rav‘s comments, tweeting, “Service in the IDF is a tremendous privilege.” The military, he continued, “belongs to all of us. Any harm to it constitutes a harm to the security of the State of Israel and its citizens.”
Opposition leader Yair Lapid said that the former chief rabbi had crossed a “red line.”
“A call for draft evasion during wartime, especially from someone who once received a state salary in an official capacity, crosses a red line,” tweeted Lapid. “It endangers democracy and undermines our future.”
Earlier this year, the rav declared that if the ultra-Orthodox are forced to enlist in the military, they will leave the country to avoid doing so. JNS
{Matzav.com Israel}