Shas Leader Aryeh Deri Criticizes IDF Chief for Political Bias and Army Damage
Shas chairman Aryeh Deri sharply criticized IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir in an interview with Kikar HaShabbat on Thursday. Deri accused Zamir of losing his impartiality and attempting to support the left-wing bloc during the election period, calling it a dangerous precedent and saying it caused significant harm to the Israeli military. Deri emphasized that the Chief of Staff should not engage in politics.
This attack came shortly after the Knesset plenum approved in a first reading a bill to freeze the arrest of draft-dodging ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students. The bill passed narrowly with 58 votes in favor and 54 against, following months of negotiations, crises, and threats from ultra-Orthodox parties.
After the bill's approval, Deri expressed relief and pride, stating, "With divine help, we approved the law to stop the arrests of Torah students. Who would have believed that in the State of Israel, yeshiva students, the precious tribe of Levi, would be treated as criminals? Today we began to correct this injustice."
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