Sephardi chief rabbi warns of mass exodus if haredim drafted

Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef has sparked controversy with his remarks on the compulsory drafting of haredim into the IDF, stating during his weekly lesson in Jerusalem on Saturday night that “if they force us to join the army, we will all move abroad.”

Emphasizing the critical role of Torah study in Israel’s success and survival, Yosef argued that “the yeshivas and kollels are what hold up the world. The state exists on Torah study, and without the Torah, there would have been no success for the army.”

He recalled the military’s achievements on October 7, attributing them to divine protection afforded by Torah learning, rather than military prowess alone.

Yosef’s comments come amid a growing storm over the drafting of haredim, a subject that has long been a point of contention within Israeli society.

“What would we do without the world of yeshivas and kollels? They hold up the world,” Yosef stated, challenging the secular community’s understanding of the military’s achievements. “No one told me it’s thanks to the pilots, the bombings, or the planes,” he added, highlighting a perceived under-appreciation for the spiritual contributions to national security.

The chief rabbi’s stern message did not stop at criticisms but extended to a direct threat of collective action.

“We will buy tickets; there is no such thing as forcing us into the army. The state stands on this,” he asserted, implying a profound and widespread willingness among the haredim to relocate rather than compromise on their religious convictions.

This is not the first time such sentiments have been expressed within the haredi community.

Yosef’s late father, former Chief Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, voiced a similar stance in 2013, suggesting that the haredim would leave Israel if forced into military service.

“We will have to, God forbid, leave the Land of Israel, to move abroad,” he had said, echoing a sentiment that has persisted among haredim for years.