Israeli Rabbi's Remarks Spark Controversy

In Israel, Rabbi Arye Yazdi, a spiritual leader of the Ultra-Orthodox community that refuses to serve in the military for religious reasons, targeted Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir. According to a report by Israeli state television KAN, Rabbi Yazdi spoke at a solidarity rally in the city of Bnei Brak, where Ultra-Orthodox students were arrested for refusing to serve in the military.Rabbi Yazdi criticized the disciplinary action taken against some soldiers who wore a 'Messiah badge' on their uniforms in violation of military regulations and used the following words:

That accursed Chief of Staff, a nobody, sentenced a soldier to a month in prison just for yearning for the Messiah.

. Rabbi Yazdi reiterated his call to the Ultra-Orthodox community not to serve in the military, saying, 'The only purpose of this army is to completely eliminate the Torah, faith, and the concept of the Messiah. Do not be deceived, do not enlist in the army.' The protesters' behavior at the rally was notable.Meanwhile, some protesters called Arye Deri, the leader of the Ultra-Orthodox Shas Party, a component of Israel's most right-wing coalition government, a 'traitor'. The Yeditoh Ahronot newspaper reported that the Torah school in Bnei Brak, to which Rabbi Yazdi is affiliated, received tens of thousands of dollars in support from the state. While Israeli law requires everyone over the age of 18 to serve in the military, the exemption of Ultra-Orthodox Jews (Haredi) from military service has been a topic of debate in the country for years.