Haredi leader attacks religious Zionists over 'wars not for Israel's protection,' calls it 'murder'

Rabbi Dov Lando, the spiritual leader of the Haredi Degel Hatorah faction, has sharply criticized the religious Zionist community, accusing them of engaging in wars that are not for Israel's protection. "If the country sends people, soldiers, in the name of the country's honor, and they kill people, is that also allowed?" he questioned. "It's simply murder. So they're inciting to murder, that's what they're doing."

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If the country sends people, soldiers, in the name of the country's honor, and they kill people, is that also allowed? It's simply murder. So they're inciting to murder, that's what they're doing.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu swiftly condemned Lando's statements, asserting that IDF soldiers, regardless of their religious background, risk their lives to defend Israel and its citizens. "They deserve deep appreciation, gratitude, and full support from every part of the public, and certainly from the world of Torah as well," Netanyahu stated.

In response to the prime minister's comments, Degel Hatorah issued a statement defending Lando. The faction warned Netanyahu against attacking the spiritual leader, stating, "The words of the great Torah scholars are the holy of holies of the people of Israel, and we live by them." They advised those who do not understand Torah to refrain from interpreting or attacking such words.

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IDF soldiers - religious, secular, and ultra-Orthodox - leave their homes, their work, and their families and risk their lives to defend the State of Israel, its citizens, and the entire people of Israel. They deserve deep appreciation, gratitude, and full support from every part of the public, and certainly from the world of Torah as well.

This incident follows Lando's earlier directive to Haredi students to disregard IDF draft orders. Lando based this ruling on a historical understanding with army authorities regarding yeshiva student exemptions. However, he argued that the current situation, with the High Court allegedly declaring "war against the world of Torah," means Haredi men should no longer cooperate with the IDF, which he believes is subject to the High Court's rulings.

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The words of the great Torah scholars are the holy of holies of the people of Israel, and we live by them. Those who do not live the world of the Torah and do not understand the depth of their words, it is better not to rush to interpret them, and certainly not to attack them. Beware of their burning embers.