Outgoing chief rabbi says High Court justices ‘can’t hold a candle to our rabbis’
Assailing top court over ultra-Orthodox draft one last time before ending his 11-year tenure, Yitzhak Yosef adds another controversial remark to his résumé
A day before ending his tenure as chief rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef lashed out Saturday at the High Court of Justice after it ruled this week that ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students must enlist in the military.
In his latest controversial outburst, the Sephardic chief rabbi said during his weekly sermon in Jerusalem that secular judges “don’t know a single page” of Talmud.
“It’s all gentile laws,” Yosef said in a video clip from the sermon.
“They can’t hold a candle to our rabbis. I need to be afraid of them?” he added rhetorically.
Yosef, who on Sunday was set to end a tenure of some 11 years and become one of the spiritual leaders of the ultra-Orthodox political party Shas, has frequently made divisive comments.
About a month ago, he attacked the same judges for a previous ruling that halted state funding for yeshiva students who evade enlistment in the military.
“These idiot judges, yes, idiot. Instead of the judges giving more power and money to the yeshivas, to every yeshiva learner, they’re giving them pennies,” he said.
In March, Yosef asserted that ultra-Orthodox people would leave Israel if forced to enlist.
The Haredi establishment is vehemently opposed to community members being drafted, arguing that serving in the military at a young age would threaten their identity. The top court has repeatedly ruled that a blanket exemption for Haredim harms the principle of equality.
In April, Yosef drew outraged reactions by saying that Israel has survived rocket attacks by terror groups throughout the ongoing war in Gaza thanks to yeshiva students, rather than the work of the security forces.
At the time, he said that “13,000 missiles were lobbed at our country [since the October 7 Hamas onslaught]; thank God for the miracles and wonders we had. Thanks to what? Thanks to the IDF chief of staff? Thanks to whom? Thanks to the Torah students and yeshiva students, who sit and study the Torah.”
He went on to say that Israelis were saved from attacks in the north, south and by Hamas terrorists, “only thanks to the members of the yeshivas and their students. They protect all the soldiers and all the nation of Israel.”
Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi David Lau was also ending his term on Sunday. Both chief rabbis were to initially be replaced by interim successors, since political disagreements have thus far prevented the selection of new full-time chief rabbis.
The Times of Israel Community.