Yitzhak Yosef
A senior Sephardic rabbinical leader and former Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, Yitzhak Yosef is a central figure in the Shas movement and a vocal advocate for the Haredi community's educational and religious autonomy.
Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef is a prominent Israeli Sephardic rabbi who served as the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel (the Rishon LeZion) from 2013 to 2024. As the son of the late Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, he carries significant influence within the Sephardic Haredi world and the Shas political party. His tenure and public leadership have been characterized by a staunch defense of traditional Torah study and the preservation of the Haredi lifestyle against secularizing trends in Israeli society.
In the landscape of Israeli national security and social cohesion, Rabbi Yosef is a pivotal figure regarding the ongoing debate over Haredi enlistment in the IDF. He has consistently maintained that the spiritual protection provided by yeshiva students is essential to Israel's survival, often taking a hardline stance against attempts to mandate military service for full-time Torah scholars. His public statements on this matter frequently serve as a barometer for the Shas party's position within governing coalitions.
Beyond the draft debate, Rabbi Yosef is a prolific author of Halakhic (Jewish law) works, most notably the 'Yalkut Yosef' series, which codifies the rulings of his father for a modern audience. This work has established him as a primary legal authority for hundreds of thousands of Sephardic Jews globally. While his rhetoric has occasionally sparked controversy in the broader Israeli public, he remains a foundational pillar of the Sephardic religious establishment, balancing the roles of a communal educator and a political heavyweight. Recent developments show him taking an active role in mobilizing public protests against the enforcement of draft orders, signaling a period of heightened friction between the rabbinical leadership and state institutions.