Shas MK Yaakov Margi sharply criticized the Haredi leadership in a Tuesday radio interview, saying he would scrap the Torah study bill and conscript everyone who does not study. 'If you don't want to enlist — die,' he told those refusing service, according to Kan Reshet Bet.
Shas MK Yaakov Margi delivered a blistering critique of the Haredi political and rabbinic leadership in a Tuesday afternoon interview on Kan Reshet Bet. 'If it were up to me, there would be no Torah study law,' Margi said. 'Everyone who does not study should be drafted. Salvation will not come from the rabbis or from the political leadership.' He directly addressed those who refuse conscription: 'If you don't want to enlist — die.'
The remarks mark a sharp escalation in Margi's public stance. As The Zioneer reported earlier Tuesday, Margi announced his retirement from politics in a separate statement that included a similar rebuke. The interview adds detail to his position: he explicitly opposes the coalition's flagship Torah Study Basic Law, which would enshrine exemptions for yeshiva students. Margi's comments place him at odds with his own party's leadership and the broader Haredi political establishment, which has made the bill a central legislative priority.
The interview comes amid an ongoing public debate over Haredi military service, with Prime Minister Netanyahu having said Saturday he would activate all possible sanctions against those who do not study Torah, and Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef warning last week that a right-wing government is 'imposing decrees' on Torah learners. Margi's intervention — from within Shas — represents a rare internal challenge to the consensus.
2 developments
- DevelopingMK Moshe Tur-Paz says Torah study bill is 'a desecration of Torah', will study without exemption
- DevelopingOpposition whip Merav Ben-Ari likens Torah study to IDF service as bill pulled from agenda
- StrongHaredi parties threaten to boycott all coalition legislation unless arrest law passes next
- DevelopingMK Margi: Basic Law: Torah Study rebukes Supreme Court judges who lost their compass
Source and signal
- Internal intake