United Torah Judaism Rally in Bnei Brak Warns Against Conscription

Tens of thousands gathered in Bnei Brak on Sunday for a central election rally held by the United Torah Judaism party. Speakers at the event included the party's new chairman, Yaakov Asher, senior Haredi judge Rabbi Shariel Rosenberg, and outgoing Knesset members Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev.

The speakers voiced strong opposition to military conscription, emphasizing the critical importance of the upcoming elections for halting state attempts to draft yeshiva students. Asher stated, "When you stop brilliant young men on the street whose only sin is studying Torah, it is a disgrace to the Torah and its students." He asserted the party's singular focus, declaring, "We are not in any bloc. We are in the bloc of Torah, which rests on holy foundations."

Gafni urged attendees not to vote for the party list led by Gadi Eisenkot, noting, "The left promised to make our lives hell if we elected Netanyahu. Unlike the right, they keep their word." Rabbi Rosenberg also called for participation in the elections, countering a sentiment of abstention due to alleged corruption and war crimes. He reminded the audience of past state actions, such as the Yemenite children affair, arguing that the state had never been perfect, yet voting was always a duty.

Party leader Rabbi Dov Landau described the current situation as the worst ever for the world of Torah, stating, "Never have yeshiva students been persecuted as they are now. Never have such terrible decrees been issued against Torah scholars." He declared that voting for the 'Gimel' symbol was the only way to protest the desecration of Torah. Landau appealed to those who had not previously voted for the party to do so this time. He also criticized a more modern Haredi party, calling them "vote losers" and stating, "It is forbidden to support them; they are falsehood and harm."