Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef Rules Out Netanyahu's Repentance, Suggests Gantz Might Change

Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, former Chief Rabbi of Israel and a leading figure in the Shas party, stated in his weekly lesson that there is no chance that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will repent, but suggested that Benny Gantz might. Yosef made these remarks amid ongoing tensions surrounding the military draft law and sanctions imposed on the ultra-Orthodox Torah study community.

Less than a month ago, Rabbi Yosef sharply criticized the Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, accusing her of orchestrating harsh enforcement measures against yeshiva students. He described these policies as "decrees imposed on the sons of Torah," linking them to broader political shifts. Yosef also claimed that former U.S. President Donald Trump's deteriorating stance toward Israel was a direct result of these punitive measures against Torah students.

These comments come during a particularly strained period between the ultra-Orthodox leadership and Israel's judicial system, following a Supreme Court ruling on yeshiva conscription and the freezing of budgets for religious institutions whose students refuse military service. Rabbi Yosef's statements reflect the deep divisions and ongoing conflict over the role of Torah study exemptions in Israeli society and politics.