Rabbi Aryeh Yazdi Criticizes Haredi Draft Exemptions as Political Failure

Rabbi Aryeh Yazdi has condemned the exemption of Haredi yeshiva students from military service, calling it a political failure rather than a principle. Speaking amid protests against the draft, Yazdi argued that Israel’s next government must prioritize national unity and the state’s welfare over sectarian interests. He warned that if the upcoming coalition remains sectoral, with parties focusing solely on their constituencies, Israel will continue to face its gravest crisis since its founding.

Yazdi challenged claims by former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot that Shas is a party with broad Zionist components and that draft exemptions for yeshiva students stem from David Ben-Gurion’s legacy. He clarified that Ben-Gurion initially allowed exemptions for only 400 elite students to preserve Torah study after the Holocaust but later regretted this decision as the number grew to 140,000, many of whom neither study nor work. He cited historical letters from Ben-Gurion expressing moral concerns about unequal military burdens.

Yazdi also criticized Shas leadership for recent inflammatory rhetoric against IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, highlighting a recent Shas rally where Rabbi Aryeh Yazdi himself cursed the military chief. He contrasted current Shas leaders with Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, who respected IDF soldiers and opposed attacks on them.

Drawing on Jewish tradition and halachic rulings, Yazdi asserted there is no religious justification for draft exemptions, emphasizing that great Jewish leaders were warriors and that military service is a mitzvah. He rejected the notion that Torah study conflicts with work or army service, pointing to the Religious Zionist community as proof that both can coexist.

Yazdi concluded that the next government must enact a universal draft law applying to all Israeli youth regardless of religion or ethnicity, with military or civilian service options managed by the Defense Ministry. He warned that Shas will not join a coalition that enforces equal draft obligations, underscoring the need for firm principles to replace the current government, which he described as the worst in Israel’s history.