Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef slams media: They are the draft evaders

Former Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef sharply criticized the mainstream media on Saturday night over its treatment of the haredi community and yeshiva students amid the ongoing controversy surrounding military enlistment. Speaking during his weekly lecture at the Yazdim Synagogue in Jerusalem, Rabbi Yosef accused the media of inciting against Torah scholars and repeatedly targeting yeshiva students. "Listen to the incitement in the media," Rabbi Yosef said. "Every news report, they're always against yeshiva students. 'Draft evaders'? They're the draft evaders! Yeshiva students are 'deserters'? They're the deserters!" His remarks came during a halakhic discussion of the concept of “tinok shenishba", a person raised without sufficient knowledge of Jewish religious observance. From there, the rabbi turned to the criticism directed at the haredi community and the status of yeshiva students. Rabbi Yosef went on to emphasize the importance of Torah study and what he described as the contribution of yeshiva students to Israel's security and the Jewish people. "Yeshiva students are saving this generation! Yeshiva students are saving the entire Land of Israel!" he declared. Returning to his criticism of the media, Rabbi Yosef concluded by warning against what he described as severe incitement targeting yeshiva students. "But there is tremendous incitement, absolutely terrible! Against yeshiva students," he said.