Gafni: The War Against the Haredim, Like the Persecution of the Romans
Degel HaTorah Chairman Moshe Gafni attacked the assaults on the Haredi public at the Bnei Yeshivot Conference, comparing them to the Roman period. He promised that the Haredi parties will not leave the coalition.
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During his speech at the Bnei Yeshivot Conference, Degel HaTorah Chairman MK Moshe Gafni addressed internal political issues and the status of the Torah world following the storm surrounding the conscription law.
Gafni emphasized that "there is no existence for the Jewish people without Torah learners," and compared the current war against the Torah world to periods when the Romans fought against Torah study. He declared that he would not allow this and that he would fight with all his strength.
Gafni conveyed from the conference: "The Torah world will not only continue and be strong but it will grow even more, and it will be the one leading the Jewish people." He added that in his opinion, many of those opposing the Torah world are not really targeting Torah learners, but are interested in removing the Haredi parties from the coalition to prevent them from influencing the identity of the government.
Despite the coalition partnership, Gafni clarified that there is no great love for the partnership: "This is a partnership where we don't see our partners fighting for us." However, he distinguished between the public leadership and the public itself, noting that "the traditional public is our partner, its leadership does things that aren't done to partners but the public is with us."
The Religious Zionism party leader Bezalel Smotrich has openly and repeatedly opposed a sweeping draft exemption for Haredim, often pointing to the sacrifice and effort of religious Zionist soldiers, who maintain their religious observance even while fighting in Gaza.