Bennett Slams Shas Leader Aryeh Deri Over Ultra-Orthodox IDF Enlistment Exemption

Naftali Bennett, leader of the "BeYachad" party and former prime minister, launched a sharp attack on Shas leader Aryeh Deri during an interview with Yishai Cohen on Kikar HaShabbat. The heated discussion quickly escalated over the controversial IDF enlistment bill for ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students.

Clash Over the Enlistment Issue

During the interview, Bennett criticized Deri's stance on drafting ultra-Orthodox men into the military. "They are playing with us," Bennett stated. He further claimed that Deri's political positions contradict traditional Jewish law regarding national defense and military service during wartime.

Deri has no God, Aryeh Deri has no God. This is not religious, this is not Zionist; in the Torah, everyone fought.

Program host Yishai Cohen challenged Bennett's personal attack, stating it was inappropriate to question someone's religious observance. However, Bennett doubled down on his remarks, arguing that failing to defend the land of Israel constitutes a severe violation of religious commandments.

The "Serving Camp" Campaign

Bennett has positioned the enlistment crisis as a central pillar of his political campaign, advocating for the "serving camp" concept—a coalition of secular, traditional, and religious Israelis who shoulder the collective security and economic burdens. He strongly opposes ongoing legislative efforts to grant broad exemptions while active-duty soldiers and reservists face extended service periods during the ongoing Gaza war.

Meanwhile, Shas and other ultra-Orthodox factions continue to defend the preservation of Torah study as essential to the spiritual defense of the nation, strictly opposing any legislation that imposes criminal or economic sanctions on yeshiva students who refuse the draft.