Shas chairman Aryeh Deri attacked IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, accusing him of trying to help the left-wing bloc and setting a dangerous precedent by involving himself in politics. 'He has no business getting involved in politics. This is a very dangerous precedent. He caused great damage to the army,' Deri said, according to The Jerusalem Post.
Shas chairman Aryeh Deri escalated his attack on IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir on Thursday afternoon, calling the chief's political involvement a 'dangerous precedent' that 'caused great damage to the army.' The quote, attributed to Deri by The Jerusalem Post, deepens a confrontation that began unfolding earlier Thursday.
At 12:20 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that Deri, in an interview with Yishai Cohen (Kikar HaShabbat), accused Zamir of 'losing it' and trying to help the left bloc. Within the same hour, a second report from The Zioneer at 13:38 Jerusalem added that Deri had claimed Prime Minister and Defense Minister wrote to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee to advance legislation halting military arrests — a claim the original interview did not contain. The Jerusalem Post's new quote, which does not specify its context, appears to be a separate statement, and it is not clear whether it was made before or after the interview.
As The Zioneer reported on July 13, Deri has defended the proposed bill to freeze arrests of yeshiva students, saying it does not harm the IDF and accusing the opposition of protecting a 'legal junta.' The deepening rift between the coalition's ultra-Orthodox parties and the IDF leadership over military service enforcement has been a recurring theme in The Zioneer's coverage.
It remains unclear when exactly Deri made the 'dangerous precedent' comment, and whether the IDF chief or the Prime Minister's Office will respond to the latest allegations.
5 developments
- DevelopingEisenkot accuses Deri of politicizing IDF chief of staff
- StrongDeri slams IDF chief over arrest bill warning: 'Most severe, he lost it'
- DevelopingIDF chief's meeting with rabbis draws criticism from right-wing channels
- DevelopingRabbi Ohad Tirosh: 'I don't believe a word the chief of staff says'
Source and signal
- Internal intake