Lapid, Liberman slam Deri for signaling yeshiva studies more important than war efforts

Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"

Then-finance minister Yair Lapid, left, talks to Shas chairman Aryeh Deri at the Knesset in March 2013. (Isaac Harari/Flash90)
Then-finance minister Yair Lapid, left, talks to Shas chairman Aryeh Deri at the Knesset in March 2013. (Isaac Harari/Flash90)

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid slams Shas party chairman Aryeh Deri, after the ultra-Orthodox politician appeared to present yeshiva students’ studies as more valuable to the war effort than soldiers’ activities on the frontlines.

“Aryeh Deri should look the thousands of IDF wounded and the bereaved families in the eye, and tell them that while they were wounded in battles to defend the homeland, while their children were killed, he is proud that he is promoting a [draft] evasion law which will ensure that ultra-Orthodox youth remain safe in yeshivas and will learn without interruption,” Lapid declares.

Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman joins in the criticism, tweeting that while Israel’s regular service and reserve troops “are sacrificing their lives for the security of all of us in the north and south, the Israeli government continues with division and promotes an evasion law.”

In an interview with Shas party mouthpiece HaDerech, Deri stated that he hopes legislation can be passed to enable yeshiva students “to sit and study without interruption” and without cuts to their subsidies.

“You have to understand, if you look at the budget, each day of battle costs us more than the entire annual budget of the entire Torah world,” he stated. “We believe that every day of study prevents more days of battle.”

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