Two students of the Shas spiritual leader told Galei Tzahal on Sunday that the rabbi reacted angrily to the denial issued earlier today by his office, emphasizing that his remarks regarding former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot were indeed made and he stands by them. The students said they were with the rabbi this morning and that the denial was issued without his knowledge.
This morning, two students of Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef told Galei Tzahal that the rabbi is angry at the denial issued by his office at 09:18 Jerusalem, and insisted that his remarks regarding former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot were indeed made and he stands by them. The students said the denial was issued without his knowledge. The development adds a new twist to the saga that began on Saturday night.
On Saturday night at 22:21 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that Rabbi Yosef, a Shas leader, had said his party could support Eisenkot, calling him a "good man" and "warm Jew", while accusing Prime Minister Netanyahu of deceiving the party on the conscription law and calling him a liar. The report also stated Yosef said Netanyahu would not return to religious observance while Eisenkot might. At 09:18 Sunday morning, the rabbi's office issued a denial, calling the report a "complete distortion" and expressing distress that someone published things not said.
As The Zioneer reported, the original remarks and denial had drawn attention to internal dynamics within Shas, a party traditionally allied with Netanyahu. The rabbi's comments suggested a potential shift away from Netanyahu, and the subsequent denial by his office created confusion.
It remains unclear whether the rabbi's office will issue a further statement, or whether the students' account accurately reflects the rabbi's position. The precise content of the original remarks also remains unverified beyond the initial report.
4 developments
- DevelopingShas distances itself from rabbi's attack on IDF chief at Bnei Brak rally
- DevelopingShas Council of Torah Sages elder condemns incitement against IDF chief
- DevelopingReservist Maj. Gen. (res.) Yitzhak Brick accuses Gadi Eisenkot of severe harm to IDF
- DevelopingRabbi Yitzhak Yosef links IDF soldier deaths to state's treatment of yeshiva students
Source and signal
- Internal intake