Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef Defies State Attorney General, Calls Her 'Mad'

Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, a prominent Sephardic rabbi and son of the late Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, publicly defied Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara's legal opinion on Saturday, stating that an event honoring his father should proceed despite the attorney general's directive against holding rallies before elections. "We will not let this pass in silence," Rabbi Yosef declared, adding, "Do not listen to her. May God destroy her, may He strike her down." He questioned Baharav-Miara's authority, asking, "Who is she?" and criticized her ruling as discriminatory, contrasting it with the permission for events related to the left, even referencing the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin near an election. Rabbi Yosef asserted that his father, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, was a Torah scholar, not a political figure.

These remarks come amid efforts by Shas party leader Aryeh Deri to mend relations with Rabbi Yosef. Reports from Wednesday indicated that Deri has been engaged in secret talks to secure Rabbi Yosef's participation in the election campaign, potentially in exchange for veto power over political decisions concerning rabbis and a commitment to negotiate with the opposition bloc led by former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, provided a suitable draft law is presented.

Approximately a month prior, Rabbi Yosef expressed skepticism about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's potential for religious repentance, while acknowledging that Gadi Eisenkot might be open to religious voters. Eisenkot, in an interview with Kikar HaShabbat, had stated that as IDF chief, he observed many Shas voters serving in the army and viewed Shas as a potential partner if it adhered to core principles. Eisenkot, whose mother voted for Shas for 30 years, is trying to persuade her to vote for his party, "Yashar!", this time.

Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef maintains a staunch Haredi stance against the conscription of yeshiva students into the IDF. In March 2024, he threatened that if yeshiva students were forced to enlist, he and others would leave the country. He has also ruled that even individuals not actively studying in yeshivas should not enlist, fearing they would become secular.