Journalist Calls Aryeh Deri a "Genius" for Controversial Tefillin Initiative

Journalist Amichai Atali has sharply criticized a new initiative by Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri concerning the distribution of tefillin, initially calling Deri a "genius" in a sarcastic remark. Atali argued that the initiative is unnecessary, as tefillin are already widely accessible in Israel. He pointed out that numerous efforts have historically provided tefillin to soldiers, youths, and new immigrants, and that kosher businesses often have stations for laying tefillin.

Atali's criticism centers on the belief that Deri's plan will create a redundant public mechanism that primarily benefits party affiliates. He suggested that government funding for tefillin would allow religious families, who already purchase them for their children's bar mitzvahs, to use public money for a purchase they would have made regardless. Atali sarcastically envisioned the creation of a national tefillin administration with numerous positions, advisors, and vehicles, implying a system for distributing jobs to political cronies.

He further satirized the potential bureaucracy, imagining roles like advisors on Rashi's and Rabbeinu Tam's tefillin, and even a future split of the administration into separate Sephardi and Ashkenazi bodies. Atali concluded that Deri's initiative is not about addressing a genuine shortage of tefillin but rather about expanding resource distribution to loyalists and voters, exploiting public funds for political gain. He reiterated his sarcastic praise for Deri's "genius" in creating yet another unnecessary mechanism to enrich associates.