Degel chairman, MK Moshe Gafni, addressed today (Monday), in an interview he gave to Reshet B, the draft law being formulated in the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee - and the harsh criticism against the ultra-Orthodox hawks, even among the ultra-Orthodox public.
""Anyone who doesn't believe that Torah scholars save us doesn't understand," said Gafni. "Torah scholars need to study Torah, and without it, the Jewish people cannot exist. It's been like this throughout history, it's been like this in the State of Israel. We survived as a people and returned to our land because there are Torah scholars.".
He noted that "there is a large part of the Jewish people in Israel and around the world who believe in what I say. There is no need to go by force, forcing those who study Torah to stop - I don't think that is right.".
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Regarding the slogan "We will die and not be drafted," he said: "It doesn't make sense.".
Gafni added: "I don't accept this statement that Haredim don't share in the burden, and how do they share?.
""The Haredi public is interested in what I say? They are interested in what the rabbis tell them and what the activists tell them. And this is not from today and it will not end today, it will be throughout the years. Torah students are Torah students and this is what interests them, they are not concerned with other things and this is the current situation.".
On the question of whether the ultra-Orthodox politicians are blocking the possibility of enlisting from the ultra-Orthodox public, he said: "We are not blocking. We receive harsh criticism. You can walk around the street with me and you will see it. Harsh criticism that we have not succeeded to date in preserving the Torah students and that they will not be outside the law. And this claim against us is a fair claim.".
Gafni attacked the petition submitted by Yesh Atid to the High Court of Justice against the transfer of more than a billion shekels to Haredi institutions. "The opposition, headed by Yair Lapid, is doing everything to make us feel that life is unbearable and to get out of this coalition. That is why the petition was submitted. This petition, even the legal advisor to the government and the legal advisor to the Knesset say, is destined to be rejected.".
""There has never been such a thing in life where a group of people who work and serve are asked to return the money. And the court, shame and disgrace, does allow this money to be withheld. In the same transfer that they are talking about and petitioning for, and on which the court ruled - there were also teachers who were not Haredi, there were also teachers who were teachers in a state or even a state-religious school. After that, they ask why they are fighting with each other - they are not fighting, they are committing an act of Sodomy.".
Gafni also expressed his opposition to the death penalty law for terrorists, which is also on the agenda. "From my experience, what will we get out of this whole thing? Will the whole world talk about us going to kill someone? And I don't know what that will do to Jews all over the world, it's a danger to Jews who live in another country, it could cause harm. I opposed it in the past, I oppose it today as well.".
