Rav Yitzchak Yosef delivered a blistering attack on Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir at a Shas election gathering in Ashdod, revealing that he had personally hung up the telephone on Smotrich during his years as Israel’s chief rabbi because of the minister’s disrespectful conduct. He also accused Ben-Gvir of failing to help the Torah community, disregarding the rulings of leading rabbonim concerning Har Habayis, and allowing police to mistreat chareidi demonstrators.

Speaking ahead of Israel’s upcoming elections, Rav Yosef urged chareidi voters not to support either politician, arguing that their conduct and political records made them unworthy of the community’s backing.

Rav Yosef began by recounting a recent encounter with a man who told him that for 42 years, he had felt he had no political party to support but was now considering voting for Smotrich.

“He was chareidi, not someone who wears a knitted yarmulka,” Rav Yosef said, emphasizing that the man was a member of the chareidi community.

Rav Yosef said he was astonished by the suggestion, particularly in light of Smotrich’s recent remarks concerning Rav Dov Landau.

“Who is Smotrich? The one who said that Rav Dov Landau should do teshuvah?” he asked.

He then shared his own experiences with Smotrich, describing telephone conversations during his tenure as chief rabbi in which the minister had contacted him seeking assistance.

“When I was serving as chief rabbi, there were several times when he needed things from me,” Rav Yosef related. “He would call me and speak insolently on the telephone. More than once, more than twice, I hung up on him in the middle of the conversation.”

Rav Yosef made clear that Smotrich’s government position had not influenced his response to what he regarded as unacceptable behavior.

“He was a senior minister. I don’t know what kind of senior minister, and I don’t care,” Rav Yosef said. “He is an arrogant person who disgraces Torah scholars. How can anyone support him? How?”

Turning to Ben-Gvir, Rav Yosef challenged the national security minister’s record of assistance to chareidi educational institutions and the Sephardic Torah community.

“And Itamar Ben-Gvir? Why?” he asked. “Has he established even one Talmud Torah anywhere in the country? There are eight million Jews in Israel. Has he established one Talmud Torah? Has he established one school for girls? Has he helped the holy yeshivos? Has he said anything about the drafting of yeshiva students?”

Rav Yosef then directed his criticism toward the conduct of Israeli police during demonstrations against the military draft, arguing that Ben-Gvir bore responsibility as the minister overseeing the police.

“He is the minister in charge of the police,” Rav Yosef said. “How do the police treat chareidim at demonstrations? With such cruelty, with such deep-seated hatred. Has he ever said anything? Has he ever protested against it? He’s pleased with it.”

The remarks came amid continuing tensions over the arrests of bnei yeshivos who have not reported for military service, with demonstrations frequently resulting in confrontations between protesters and police.

Rav Yosef devoted another portion of his speech to Ben-Gvir’s visits to Har Habayis, which he condemned as a direct affront to the rulings of leading poskim.

“I spoke against ascending Har Habayis,” Rav Yosef said. “I spoke on Motzoei Shabbos, and I said that all the gedolei hador prohibited it. Rav Feinstein, Rav Elyashiv, Maran, Rav Ezra Attiya, even their own rabbonim, Rav Kook, the father and the son, all prohibited it.”

Rav Yosef recalled that despite his public remarks, Ben-Gvir visited Har Habayis the following morning.

“I spoke about it, and the next morning he goes up demonstratively, as though deliberately acting in opposition, disregarding the rabbonim, and ascending Har Habayis,” he said.

Rav Yosef also questioned the religious character of some candidates on Ben-Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit electoral list and accused the party of failing to address the needs of Sephardic families and Torah institutions.

“He has people on his list who are not sufficiently religious,” Rav Yosef said. “How can anyone support such a list, which has done nothing for Sephardim? Just guns, guns, guns. What has he done for Sephardim? Nothing.”

Addressing the activists gathered in Ashdod, Rav Yosef expressed particular concern about younger chareidi voters who have become enthusiastic supporters of Ben-Gvir.

“Unfortunately, there are young people, not you, but young people who don’t understand this and get excited,” he said. “Speak to them. Explain it to them. They will vote, and they will be punished for it.”

Rav Yosef urged those present to explain to younger voters the importance of considering a candidate’s attitude toward Torah leadership, his record of supporting Torah institutions, and his conduct toward the chareidi community.

As he concluded his remarks, Rav Yosef returned to Ben-Gvir’s visits to Har Habayis and his criticism of police conduct during chareidi demonstrations.

“All this wrongdoing of his, ascending Har Habayis, and all his wrongdoing in having the police persecute chareidim, it’s terrible,” Rav Yosef declared. “Such deep-seated hatred. All of this is because of him. He is responsible. How can anyone give power to such a person?”

{Matzav.com}