Former Chief Rabbi and Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef said in his weekly lesson that U.S. President Donald Trump’s changed attitude toward Israel stems from efforts to draft yeshiva students. He argued that students have been exempt from military service since the time of David Ben-Gurion and that they devote themselves to Torah study.
Yosef said, "The Torah protects us." He then asked, "Did Trump suddenly turn against us for nothing? Why did he turn? Because of the decrees they are making against Torah students, that is why he turned against us."