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Amid growing tensions surrounding the military draft issue and increasing scrutiny of the yeshiva world, Chief Sephardic Rabbi Rav Dovid Yosef called on the public to strengthen its commitment to Torah study and show greater respect for those who dedicate their lives to learning. He expressed particular pain over recent arrests of yeshiva bochurim, saying the treatment they have received has diminished the honor of Torah.

Speaking during his weekly Motzaei Shabbos shiur, Rav Yosef said the Torah community must remain steadfast despite the challenges it faces.

“Unfortunately, we are in a situation where we must be extremely careful not to weaken, chalilah. Recently, yeshiva students have been arrested and humiliated as well. The honor of Torah has been degraded in recent times, and it is very painful. The world exists because of Torah, the world exists because of those who study Torah, and the world cannot endure without Torah.”

Rav Yosef stressed that even in times of military conflict and difficult national decisions, success ultimately depends on Heavenly assistance.

“Above all, we need siyata d’Shmaya, that the verse ‘the hearts of kings are in the hands of Hashem’ be fulfilled for us.”

He urged the public to respond to criticism and pressure directed at the yeshiva world not through confrontation, but through increased Torah learning and a renewed commitment to honoring Torah scholars. He emphasized that respect for talmidei chachamim is a fundamental obligation, particularly among Torah scholars themselves.

“All the more so, Torah scholars are obligated to honor Torah scholars.”

The rabbi also shared a personal story about his father, Rav Ovadia Yosef zt”l, describing the extraordinary respect he showed toward those engaged in limud haTorah.

“When he would see a young kollel fellow sitting and learning, he would stand up in his honor… He would say, ‘I need to demonstrate that I honor Torah scholars.’”

Concluding his remarks, Rav Yosef encouraged the Torah community to remain committed to its mission and traditions despite the current challenges.

“We will continue on our path, the path of constant Torah study. We will not change, with Hashem’s help, from what we have become accustomed to.”

{Matzav.com}

Shas chairman Aryeh Deri issued one of his most forceful public statements to date on Sunday, accusing Israel’s legal establishment of persecuting Torah learners and warning that continued sanctions against yeshiva students could lead to tax resistance, a breakdown in cooperation with police, and a widening rift between the chareidi public and state authorities.

The unusually sharp remarks reflected growing tensions within the right-wing coalition as disputes over military conscription and penalties against yeshiva students continue to escalate.

At the start of his statement, Deri took direct aim at Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, accusing her of spearheading an aggressive campaign against the Torah world.

“The dismissed and anarchist attorney general is racing ahead with arrests and harsh sanctions against Torah learners. She is pushing the chareidi public to the edge.”

Deri warned that the current course of action would not be accepted quietly and could trigger unprecedented acts of civil disobedience.

“This will lead to a tax revolt, a disconnect from the police, and a deep rupture with state authorities. Anyone who cares about the future of the country must rise up against this madness.”

A significant portion of Deri’s criticism was directed at his coalition allies. He argued that leaders of Likud, Religious Zionism, and Otzma Yehudit have failed to defend the chareidi community as pressure on yeshivos and Torah students intensifies.

“I cry out and warn the prime minister and the leaders of the right-wing parties: If you truly want the right-wing bloc to survive, you must stand firmly against this persecution. Your voices are not being heard!”

Deri concluded by invoking the well-known phrase “Silence is filth,” insisting that Shas expects concrete action rather than sympathetic statements.

“It is unacceptable that we should become the punching bag of this government, that everything sacred and precious to the Jewish people should be harmed, while you stand by and remain silent.”

Political observers viewed the statement as one of Deri’s strongest warnings yet, aimed at increasing pressure on Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu to resolve the military draft dispute and address the financial challenges facing yeshivos. Some analysts suggested the comments were also intended to underscore the potential consequences for coalition stability if the issue remains unresolved.

Government Secretary Yossi Fuchs joined the criticism, arguing that the current enforcement policy is damaging efforts to integrate more chareidim into military service.

“The IDF needs chareidi soldiers, not chareidi detainees in prison facilities. As I have warned all along, the attorney general’s campaign against the chareidi public, which grows more severe every week—from demands for arrest quotas, to efforts to block even donations to yeshivos (which currently receive no state funding for draft-age students), and even demands for indictment quotas—will ultimately reduce chareidi enlistment in the IDF, turn the entire chareidi public into the Jerusalem Faction, and, Heaven forbid, even lead to a civil war.”

Fuchs also argued that the legal measures are being enforced selectively. He noted that after the expiration of the legal framework that had exempted many yeshiva students from military service, Torah learners suddenly found themselves facing criminal liability for not enlisting.

“Let us remember that until the expiration of Chapter G1 of the Security Service Law, which led for the first time in the state’s history to Torah scholars in chareidi yeshivos—including the most dedicated learners—awakening to the reality that failing to enlist in the IDF constitutes a criminal offense, we did not see any comparable criminal enforcement by the attorney general against draft evaders who were not from the chareidi community. There were no arrest operations, no sanctions, and nothing of the sort. This is not equal enforcement. On the contrary, it is selective, agenda-driven, and improper enforcement.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Yariv Levin also voiced support for Deri’s position and called for an immediate response from coalition leaders.

“I join MK Rabbi Aryeh Deri’s call not to remain silent any longer. For a long time, I have been urging the government and coalition to unite, rise above internal disagreements, and put an end to the discriminatory judicial anarchy under which many sectors of society are being trampled.”

Levin further called for an emergency gathering of right-wing party leaders to formulate a coordinated response.

“I call for an urgent meeting of the leaders of the right-wing bloc. The time has come for us to adopt a series of practical decisions that will return control of the state to the government and put an end to judicial anarchy.”

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper criticized Israel’s ongoing military campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon on Sunday, while simultaneously urging the Iranian-backed terror group to lay down its weapons and halt its attacks on Israel.

Speaking about the fighting, Cooper accused Israel of causing widespread harm through its military actions in Lebanon.

“Israel’s military escalation in Lebanon has killed and displaced civilians, destroyed infrastructure, and eroded space for diplomacy. It must end,” charged Cooper.

At the same time, she emphasized that responsibility also lies with Hezbollah, calling on the terrorist organization to stop its aggression.

“Hezobllah must end attacks on Israel and disarm.”

Cooper concluded by urging all parties to honor existing agreements and pursue diplomatic solutions.

“All sides must respect the ceasefire and engage with negotiations in good faith,” concluded Cooper.

Her remarks followed the IDF’s announcement that Israeli forces had launched a targeted military operation in the Beaufort Ridge and Wadi al-Saluki regions of southern Lebanon. The mission is aimed at destroying terrorist infrastructure and eliminating Hezbollah operatives entrenched in the area.

According to the IDF, the operation got underway several days ago, with substantial ground forces moving into the area as part of an effort to broaden Israel’s Forward Defense Line.

Military officials said the offensive was authorized by the Chief of the General Staff after extensive planning, operational preparations, and preliminary fire missions carried out under the direction of the Northern Command. The objective is to secure operational control over the Beaufort Ridge and Wadi al-Saluki corridor while weakening Hezbollah’s capabilities and dismantling infrastructure established there with Iranian support.

The IDF stated that the Beaufort Ridge has long served as a strategic Hezbollah stronghold from which terrorists directed military operations and launched numerous attacks against Israel.

Israeli forces are also targeting launch sites in the region that have been used to fire hundreds of rockets and other projectiles at Israeli communities and IDF personnel.

As the operation continued, Hezbollah further violated the ceasefire on Sunday by extending the range of its rocket attacks into northern Israel. Among the targets was the city of Akko.

In a separate attack later in the day, four Israeli soldiers sustained light injuries when a Hezbollah explosive drone detonated in the community of Beit Hillel.

Medical personnel treated the wounded soldiers at the scene before transporting them to a hospital for further care. The military said their families were informed of the incident.