Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) men who do not work are still prohibited from serving in the IDF, Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, former Sephardi chief rabbi, was quoted as saying on Sunday.

With haredi factions pushing for a draft law that would exempt eligible haredim from service and increased pressure and tension due to the war, the comments by Yosef were widely criticized across the political spectrum.

Yosef explained that his father’s brothers all went to the army and became secular.

The Prime Minister’s Office criticized the remarks as “unacceptable and deserving of complete condemnation.
“We will not tolerate expressions of refusal [to serve] from any side,” the PMO said.
President Isaac Herzog condemned the rabbi’s comments in a post on X/Twitter. “Service in the IDF is a tremendous privilege,” he wrote, adding, “The IDF belongs to all of us. Any harm to it constitutes a harm to the security of the State of Israel and its citizens.”

Opposition head Yair Lapid also took to X, saying, “A call for draft evasion during wartime, especially from someone who once received a state salary in an official capacity, crosses a red line. It endangers democracy and undermines our future.”

'Dangerous and illegitimate'

National Unity head MK Benny Gantz commented, “Refusal to serve and calls for draft evasion are unacceptable, dangerous, and illegitimate – whether they come from a former state attorney or a sitting chief rabbi. Everyone must serve the state.”

Asked to respond to the rabbi’s comments in an interview with Army Radio, Likud MK Moshe Saada said, “Anyone who violates the law and calls for draft evasion must be investigated.”

A spokesperson for the Shas Party, Asher Medina, later stated the remarks contained no “call for refusal to serve.”
“Rabbi Yosef’s remarks were aimed at highlighting the essential need to provide suitable frameworks for ultra-Orthodox youth who wish to enlist,” he reportedly added.
Saturday evening, former state attorney Moshe Lador was criticized for urging volunteer IDF pilots to consider refusing service if judicial reform legislation is passed.
Netanyahu’s coalition criticized his remarks, saying they “cross a red line, endanger democracy, and threaten our future,” with Herzog, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and Gantz joining in as well.