Sephardic Chief Rabbi Hagaon HaRav Yitzchak Yosef sharply criticized several Religious Zionist Roshei Yeshiva who attacked his recent remarks on the issue of drafting yeshiva Bochrim.

“There are some of them that if they would come to join a minyan, we would not count them,” Rav Yosef said. “They are considered apikorsim.”

The Chief Rabbi also singled out Rabbi Tamir Granot, a Rosh Yeshiva at a Hesder Yeshiva who has publicly called for drafting Chareidim.

“There is one ‘rabbi’ — I don’t even know if he’s a rabbi — a Rosh Yeshiva of a Hesder Yeshiva, who goes on television to speak against us,” Rav Yosef said. “Does he not fear the sin of degrading talmidei chachamim?”

He added, “Anyone who calls for drafting those who learn Torah is an apikores. We would not include him in a minyan.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)