Lapid Blames Deri for Protest Gridlock, Vows to Redirect Funds
Translated & summarized from JDN by baba
Opposition leader Yair Lapid blamed Shas chairman Aryeh Deri and protest organizers for severe traffic disruptions in Israel. Lapid accused Deri of funding draft evasion and causing road blockades. He vowed to redirect funds from religious institutions to the serving public, intensifying the debate over equal military service and yeshiva budgets.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Opposition leader Yair Lapid blamed Aryeh Deri for protest-related traffic jams.
- Lapid vowed to redirect all funds from religious institutions to the serving public.
- Protests have caused major traffic gridlock on key Israeli roads.
- The dispute centers on equal burden-sharing and draft law exemptions.
- Lapid accused Deri of funding draft evasion and causing road blockades.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid has sharply criticized Aryeh Deri, chairman of the Shas party, and protest organizers for the extensive traffic jams and road closures plaguing major routes, including Highway 4 and the entrance to Jerusalem. Lapid accused Deri of using public funds to finance draft evasion and then sending people to block roads for commuters.
In a social media post addressing the public stuck in traffic, Lapid stated, "Stuck in traffic jams in front of these impudent people's protests? Deri isn't satisfied with taking your money to fund evasion from the IDF, he's also sending people to block your way home." He linked the government's funding of religious institutions to the public protests against mandatory military service.
Lapid vowed to fundamentally alter budget priorities, declaring, "We will take all their money, down to the last shekel, and transfer it to the serving public. Only together." These remarks escalate the political tension surrounding the issue of equal burden-sharing, the draft law, and the opposition's struggle against the coalition's policies regarding yeshiva budgets.
