Shas Spiritual Leader Expresses Deep Distrust in Netanyahu Over Draft Exemption
A senior figure in the Shas party's rabbinical leadership has voiced significant distrust in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stating that the party will only join a future government after a law exempting yeshiva students from military service is passed, not based on future promises. Rabbi Moshe Maya, the eldest member of Shas's Council of Torah Sages, expressed this sentiment in a leaked recording published by i24NEWS.
"This time they erred. Bibi promised a lot and everyone thought he would give us everything," Rabbi Maya was heard saying in the recording. He rejected the possibility of joining a government based on a commitment to pass the law within 30 days, insisting, "There is no such thing. We will not sign onto joining the government until he brings a law that yeshiva students are exempt, like the wording of Maimonides." He further stated, "Forget it. I will not believe him about anything."
Rabbi Maya also commented on a previous draft exemption bill, which involved former minister Ariel Atias on behalf of Shas. He claimed the party did not genuinely intend to advance that specific bill, stating its promotion was due to a lack of alternatives. This stance aligns with recent public remarks by Knesset Member Yoav Ben-Tzur of Shas, who stated that the party's mistake in the previous term was not conditioning government formation on the passage of the draft exemption law.
Ben-Tzur reiterated that Shas has learned from this experience and will demand the draft exemption law be passed before any new government is sworn in, calling it an unequivocal condition. Despite this distrust, Shas intends to remain aligned with the bloc supporting Netanyahu, as stated by Ben-Tzur, who noted their constituency is right-wing. The Likud party has indicated openness to this condition, with a spokesperson stating they hope to legislate the draft law before government formation as part of coalition agreements.
The recording highlights a divergence between Shas's political support for Netanyahu, as expressed by party chairman Aryeh Deri, and the deep skepticism held by its spiritual leadership. This follows earlier sharp criticism from Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, another spiritual leader of Shas, who accused Netanyahu of being a "liar who cannot be trusted" and of deceiving them regarding the draft law.
