Top Rabbi Slams Gadi Eisenkot, Ending Hopes for Ultra-Orthodox Support

Spiritual leader of the Shas party, Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, has delivered a harsh rebuke to Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the 'Yisrael' party, effectively shattering hopes for potential support from the ultra-Orthodox sector. During a recent gathering, Rabbi Yosef issued a stark warning against a scenario where the opposition might ascend to power, stating, "If it happens that the left and Eisenkot rise, woe is us!"

Rabbi Yosef, former Chief Rabbi, also recalled Eisenkot's tenure as IDF Chief of Staff, criticizing him for allegedly secularizing the army. "When he was Chief of Staff, I approached him about an issue concerning a male and female soldier in the same tank, he didn't even answer me. He is the one who secularized the army, can you trust him?" he questioned.

These unprecedented remarks come just a month after a surprising shift in tone from the ultra-Orthodox sector. Previously, Rabbi Yosef had spoken about Eisenkot in a conciliatory manner, calling him a "warm Jew" and noting that his grandmother had voted for Shas. At that time, he also implied that Prime Minister Netanyahu would never repent, while Eisenkot still had a chance.

This earlier, more moderate tone had generated significant optimism within Eisenkot's campaign, who saw him as the only figure in the "change bloc" capable of bridging divides and forming a government with the ultra-Orthodox parties. However, Rabbi Yosef's current frontal attack clarifies that for Shas and its leadership, past grievances concerning religion and military issues from Eisenkot's time as Chief of Staff outweigh any attempts at political rapprochement.