Rivalry Flares Between Haredi Parties and Ben-Gvir Over Draft Evasion Arrests

The spiritual leader of the Shas party, Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, publicly accused Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir of being responsible for the recent arrests of Haredi yeshiva students who evaded military service. Yosef made these remarks at an event on Wednesday, framing the arrests as a politically motivated move by Ben-Gvir to incite unrest among yeshiva students and encourage them to vote for his Otzma Yehudit party. He stated that without Ben-Gvir, who oversees the police, these arrests would not be happening.

Yaakov Asher, chairman of Degel HaTorah, also appealed to Ben-Gvir to halt the increased arrests of Torah scholars, particularly during the election period. Asher alleged that the government's legal advisor was using the police under Ben-Gvir's command as a political tool to create chaos and division within society.

Ben-Gvir responded with an open letter to the Haredi party leaders, accusing them of a "cynical political maneuver" designed to distract from their own perceived failures in serving their constituents. He claimed the surge in arrests was a directive from the government's legal advisor and the High Court. Ben-Gvir further asserted that Haredi leaders had avoided promoting enlistment in the IDF's Haredi tracks due to fear of extremist factions, which he believes would have eased pressure on Torah scholars. He also highlighted his party's legislative achievements, suggesting his party had done more for the Haredi public than the Haredi parties themselves.