As hundreds of thousands of bnei Torah – avreichim, bochurim, and machzikei Torah – gathered in Yerushalayim today for the historic “Atzeres HaMillion,” uniting in peaceful protest against efforts to force yeshivalei into the army, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid unleashed a scathing verbal assault on the participants — calling the massive atzeres “a disgraceful demonstration.”
In comments that immediately sparked outrage, Lapid said: “I want to say to all these young people who went to this disgraceful demonstration in Jerusalem, and are marching in the streets — if you’re able to travel to a protest, you’re able to travel to an induction center; if you’re able to march in the street, you’re able to march in basic training and defend the State of Israel. What has been, won’t be any longer — everyone will enlist, everyone will work, everyone will go to the induction center, everyone will defend the state.”
Lapid’s remarks — delivered amid an unprecedented kiddush Hashem that saw hundreds of thousands of lomdei Torah standing shoulder to shoulder in tefillah — were widely condemned as inflammatory and deeply disrespectful to the Torah world.
YWN NOTES the irony of Lapid lecturing bnei Torah about national service, given that he himself never completed high school and served only as a reporter for the IDF magazine Bamachane during his so-called “mandatory service.”
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2 Responses
It was?
“unprecedented kiddush Hashem that saw hundreds of thousands of lomdei Torah standing shoulder to shoulder in tefillah.”
If they held up signs that said “LET OTHERS DIE” or “IM MORE IMPORTANT” or “NOT MY PROBLEM” at least i would respect that. And Gd couldnt hear their prayers from yeshiva — this was a show of political power — and let the unwashed masses die. Terrible.
The face of the sitra achra!!
Wonder if it’s even mutar to look at him? (not that anyone should want to!!)