Aryeh Deri Praises Torah Study Fund Chairman Amid Haredi Draft Controversy

Shas party chairman and Knesset member Aryeh Deri hosted philanthropist Reuven Wolf, chairman of the "World of Torah Fund," at his Sukkot gathering on Wednesday. The meeting occurred against the backdrop of the controversial Haredi draft issue and government budget cuts to yeshivas.

Deri publicly thanked Wolf for establishing the private fund, which he stated has become a central support for yeshiva students over its three years of operation. He credited Wolf with initiating the fund during a period when "they tried to harm Torah scholars," and emphasized that it provides an alternative to the halted government budgets, acting against what Deri called "sanctions by the judicial system against Torah scholars."

During the event, Deri also strongly criticized the Attorney General and the Supreme Court. He vowed that Shas would not allow harm to the legacy of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, promising that the party would hold thousands of memorial events in his honor across the country and bring large crowds to his Jerusalem tomb, despite perceived attempts to limit such activities.

Rabbi Moshe Maya, the senior member of the Council of Torah Sages, also addressed the gathering, urging the public to vote. He warned that abstaining from voting would be considered "contempt for Torah scholars" and asserted that if the public votes en masse, no political coalition or government could be formed without Shas's participation.