Rishon Letzion Slams Netanyahu as “Liar,” Edelstein as “Son of Priest”

Rishon Letzion and Shas’ spiritual leader Harav Yitzchak Yosef shlita fiercely condemned Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Yuli Edelstein Thursday, in footage shared with Channel 13.

Rav Yosef accused Netanyahu of lying to the Charedi public and harshly criticized Edelstein’s background, referencing his father’s conversion to Christianity.

In a pointed rebuke of Netanyahu’s remarks about the IDF’s integration of Charedim, Rabbi Yosef declared: “The prime minister said that you can join the Charedi army and come out Charedi, why are you a liar? Why are you lying?! How audacious to lie like that?!” He continued, intensifying his rhetoric: “Maran (Harav Ovadia Yosef zt”l) said that he is a blind goat, and I say a blind fox, not a blind goat. Is that how you lie? Can you join Haredi and come out Haredi? There is no such thing in the world. Anyone who goes into the army is spoiled. There is no doubt about it.” He then urged the Charedi community to continue Torah study despite government pressure: “They are planning to arrest young men, the police want to arrest young men… You will be strong and have great aspirations to become Torah scholars.”

Addressing Edelstein directly, Rabbi Yosef’s tone grew even more scathing: “There is someone whose father converted to Christianity and he is a priest, this one grew up in a priest’s house and he causes all the trouble for the yeshiva students… Your father is a priest, converted to Christianity! You will come and harm Torah students? What do you have against Torah students?! Take your shoes off your feet from this place.”

Rabbi Yosef continued by listing the state’s punitive measures aimed at yeshiva students: fingerprinting requirements, restrictions on travel and work until age thirty, exclusion from benefits like tax discounts and daycare subsidies, and disqualification from housing lotteries. “They really disrespect the Torah scholars, they despise the Torah…Hakadosh Baruch Hu does not tolerate this, it is a disgrace to the Torah,” he said. “You will be strong. The line is the Torah, not the army or the police.”

Despite attempts by Netanyahu, Shas’ Moetzet Chachmei Hatorah ruled that Shas should quit the government. Following their decision, Religious Services Minister Rabbi Michael Malchieli stated: “The Moetzet painfully received the report on the serious steps of the Attorney General – which include an enforcement plan that is nothing short of cruel and criminal against yeshiva students… In the current situation, it is not possible to sit in the government and be partners with it.”

On Monday, both factuons of the United Torah Judaism party officially exited the coalition.