Senior Shas Rabbi Condemns Extreme Remarks Against IDF Chief at Bnei Brak Protest

Rabbi Moshe Maya, the senior member of the Shas Council of Torah Sages, issued a special statement condemning the extreme remarks made against the IDF Chief of Staff during a protest rally in Bnei Brak. The rally, held to protest the arrest of yeshiva students, included harsh criticism of the military leadership, which Rabbi Maya said was deeply regrettable and not in line with Torah values. He emphasized that Torah tradition does not support such expressions and highlighted that prayers are regularly said for the success and safety of soldiers protecting Israel.

Rabbi Maya’s letter, titled "Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace," reaffirmed respect for the IDF and its soldiers. He signed the letter with great respect for the army and Torah scholars alike. The protest had featured a controversial speech by Rabbi Aryeh Yazdi, who cursed the IDF Chief of Staff over the imprisonment of a soldier wearing a "Messiah" patch, sparking widespread condemnation from political and security leaders, including President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Shas also officially distanced itself from Rabbi Yazdi’s statements, clarifying that such extreme remarks do not represent the views of the Council of Torah Sages or the movement’s traditional approach, as established by Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. The protest in Bnei Brak was attended by prominent rabbis, including the Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef and other leading Torah authorities, underscoring the community’s concern over the arrests but rejecting inflammatory rhetoric.