(VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)
In a video uploaded to YouTube recently Rav Amnon Yitzchak is heard addressing the controversy surrounding the new draft law and efforts to induct chareidim into the IDF. Interestingly, as seen near the end of the video when one man asks a question, all the seats in the hall are empty, leading one to wonder who the rabbi is addressing.
The video is a clear attack against Shas, primarily HaGaon HaRav Shlomo Cohen, head of the Moetzas Chachmei HaTorah of Shas, as well as against Yahadut Hatorah, as they have both come out against Peleg protests, particularly the recent atzeres tefilla held at the tziyun of Maran Rav Ovadia ZT”L.
Rav Yitzchak makes mention of Peleg Yerushalmi protests against the draft, then plays sound clips of anonymous quotations from chareidim opposed to the protests, i.e., the mainstream chareidi tzibur, citing how some wanted to fill bottle of smelly fish water and throw them at Peleg protesters while others suggested using Purim fireworks to attack protestors. Rav Amnon also points a finger of blame at leading Sephardi poskim, including Chacham HaGaon HaRav Shlomo Cohen, and HaGaon HaRav Ba’adani, also a member of Shas’ Moetzas Chachmei Hatorah. He explained “the situation is worse than Bilam” for their opposition to protests against drafting chareidim.
Rav Yitzchak opts to include segments in his video which date back over 20 years, when Shas made it possible for the passage of the Oslo Agreements, with the segment quoting Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef ZT”L, who explained Shas’ support was without his knowledge, but the sole decision of Aryeh Deri. Then cutting back to words from Chacham Cohen, who explains Deri never acts without first consulting with Gedolei Yisrael. Rav Cohen expresses admiration and even jealousy in reference to Deri’s merits and his actions, while Rav Ovadia is heard explaining Deri has taken over the party, does as he wishes, asking rhetorically, “This isn’t a rosha?” Rav Yitzchak mocks Hagaon HaRav Cohen by playing the Deri clip a few times.
Seeking to strengthen his position against the IDF, Rosh Yeshivas Kisei Rachamim HaGaon HaRav Meir Mazuz is also brought into the video, stating any talmid yeshiva entering the IDF is destroyed, telling a story conveyed to him that one talmid who entered the IDF threw away his Yiddishkeit ten months later. Referring to an atzeres tefilla that was arranged by the Peleg, boycotted by Degel Hatorah and Shas, Rav Mazuz explains “Torah has nothing to do with politics and anyone who is pained with the situation can join an atzeres tefilla”.
Clearly, Rav Amnon Yitzchak is attacking Yahadut Hatorah and Shas, showing newspaper headlines reading “The chareidim oppose the draft but assist in passing draft law”.
The person at the end of the video who appears to be the lone individual listening to Rav Amnon’s address asks how one may speak as he does, for we are taught we must respect Gedolei Yisrael even when there is machlokes between them, as was the case with Amoraim. Rav Amnon explains he is correct, but in this case, “they don’t respect one another. They (Peleg) wish to protest the draft. You (Shas and Yahadut Hatorah) wish to enlist, then do so, but why shout at those who wish to protest? They do not respect them. It is not me. You don’t want them to protest. This is not a machlokes L’Shem Shomayim…”
Clearly, Rav Amon has an axe to grind with Shas in particular, as he broke away and launched his Koach L’Hashpiah party, making the announcement on 13 Kislev 5773, in the hope of entering Knesset in the 2013 elections. His effort failed miserably, despite predicting the end of the Shas party. He was distanced from Shas and admonished for his actions by Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef ZT”L, who was pained by the split in the Sephardi community and the betrayal by Rav Amnon, citing he caused him so much bitul Torah. Rav Amnon predicted he would earn many seats, “in double digits”, and on election night he would “Sit and laugh” at Shas. The only one not laughing that night was Rav Amnon Yitzchak.
As a result of events in 2013, Rav Ovadia refused to meet with Rav Amnon, who became persona non grata with Shas. Shas supporters were strongly against Rav Amnon, even using pepper spray during one of his addresses, an election event for Rav Amon’s Koach L’Hashpiah, which failed miserably in the Knesset elections. In a horrible act, Rav Ovadia’s seforim and those of now Rishon L’Tzion HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Yosef were publicly burned in Ohr Yehuda, which was blamed on Koach L’Hashpiah activists too.
In his bid to get into Knesset, Rav Amon went so far to have announced he enjoys the support of Maran HaGaon HaRav Aryeh Yehuda Leib Shteinman ZT”L, which was later learned not to be the case in a clarification by the Gadol Hador.
Now, years later, after a long period of silence, Rav Amnon is back, lashing out against both Shas and Degel Hatorah, both having become his political enemies R”L, and seemingly seeking to settle an old score.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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26 Responses
Not my Rabbi!
קבל את האמת ממי שאומרה He said the truth and again ywn is trying to badmouth the truth shame on you.
We in America have a lot of power to stop the giyus and because of the people stopping the protests, THEY ARE CAUSING 1000’S OF YESHIVA BACHURIM TO END UP IN THE MILTARY GEVALT!!!!
His several years of silence were welcomed in much of the Torah world. No, his divrei Torah were not that bad, and his work in kiruv deserves credit. But he seems to believe that he is among the Gedolei Hador, and this arrogance is expensive. He did not rate, and they did not consider him one of them. And we must defer to their judgment.
We now see the audacity in knocking the Gedolim. He may disagree, as may we all. But the denigration is unacceptable.
Siding with the bullies and baalei aveiroh of Peleg is unacceptable, and he will not garner a drop of respect from me. I feel bad that YWN is giving him press coverage. It is enough that he had a microphone without an audience. Let him fade into history. We will miss very little.
@emes100 – Oh please. Amnon Yitzchak is a despicable person who is blatantly mocking gedolim on a video? Exactly what kind of “Mashpia” or “Rov” is he? Explain that to us all? He is a rasha. That’s what he is. And Chacham Ovadia was correct for throwing him out of Shas.
He is a showman at best. Nothing more and nothing less.
He also sues anyone and everyone. He has hundreds of lawsuits going at anytime against anyone he so chooses.
His events are empty, yet he makes you think he has millions of fans.
This has nothing to do with Giyus. This is Amnon Yitzchak getting into the gutter to try and payback Shas.
How can a prominent rov make such a horrible video making fun of big rabbonim and gedolim.
so disgusting.
thank you for exposing this to everyone.
I am still his fan, he says the truth the whole time, I guess in this world of Sheker Truth is not welcome, and I think that’s his mistake, he should be more patient and let Moshiach get rid of the Sheker. The Job is way too big for him on his own.
What a shame!!!! YWN – you are no more than a platform for Lashon Harah!!!
The only reason you post things like this is to stir a pot. The Chofetz Chaim is really proud of you!!! 🙁
Your news is at best a day late so why even be in business.
Enough already!!!!!!!
Not everyone has to be on the Agudah bandwagon
RighteousJudgement – Being right doesn’t allow someone to make such a video pocking fun and degrading gedolim. Amnon Yitzchak has finally shown his true colors. Disgusting.
Glad your a fan and too blind to see the truth. The truth that he just mocked gedolim. No where in Shulchan Aruch is this permitted.
1- Not everyone has to follow Agudah…. but everyone has to follow SHulchan Aruch. This man openly mocked and belittled gedolei olam. And he is ranting about Bilam? HE is the Bilam harasha.
Dont agree with Agudah. No problem. But to make a video like this and go public?
Feh!
is this ywn or vin shame on you. you you have been influenced by your surroundings ur surroubndings is the internet
Lavim this article Potentially transgresses
לא תלך רכיל
לא תהיה כקרח ועדתו
לפני עוור (this is for every reader )
פן תשכח ה אלקיך
Just the tip of the iceberg
shab29 – No one said you have to look at this website. If you don’t like it then don’t click on the link to the website. It is your choice. This is news for all not loshon hora but even if it is you have the choice whether to read or not!!
mlyb2010 –
Lavim that Amnon Yitzach Potentially transgresses
לא תלך רכיל
לא תהיה כקרח ועדתו
לפני עוור (this is for every reader )
פן תשכח ה אלקיך
Just the tip of the iceberg.
Thanks YWN for exposing this fraud. Lemaan Yish’uu Viyirau. 100% supposed to publish this!
Ferd – I wouldn’t be so quick to call someone a rosho or not a Rav. I might or might not agree with him but he is probably more learned than both of us combined. Let the gedolim throw the insults around if they choose to or not. Not for you or me to do!! Be careful!!
He once was a good fella ,but he lost his former audience and will do anything now to get some of it back.He tried making a new political party in last election.It fizzled out with barely a whimper
I have come to be Moche on Kavod HaTorah. We are obligated to stand up when Talmidei Chachomim are denigrated, especially in public. This is unacceptable! Disagree with the Rabbis quietly if you wish, publicly ridiculing them is something unheard of. Disgusting.
well i m reading all the above,each side thinks they are right and amnon is no good, well lets see what the pastaway Gedolim say they quotation of the torah. ” you cant mingle with jews not following torah or a place with females mix and you cant violate the 3 swearing, so this is clear the land of today governs by pig eaters and non complying Jews so why in the world i need to side with rabbis that go against the real torah sfardi or ashkenazi, a ben torah is automatic should be exempt like in pheros time and all time and why cant israel have a free volunteer army like here and all the economy will boom since ben torahs can work and learn freely not hiding in the yeshivas . there is no war at all that needed personal,all done with a few thousand and high tech , the solders complain they are bored and do nothing just chasing girls ,saying all that proves all they want a destruction of shomre torah thats why there is no volunteer army
I have kept quiet until now but this is simply too much for me. The American media is fake news. Ywn the Yated and others. There is a machkockes going on in Ey between the gedolim. Between gedoley hador. Who is the media and those who r behind it to take sides? Why does ywn call r’ shmuel aurbachs side a faction or peleg and act as if the other side is mainstream? Do u know the amounts of ppl to know whos the mainstream? Is it because the gedolim that they promote to be gedolim r on that side and the gedolim that they slander against r on the other? Do u know of the mafia that goes on in the degel party where they almost ran over r’ asher arieli for speaking up or of the other rabonim or were threatened?
Now oviously the gedolim of degel dont either know about this. Its their grandchildren and the others who “gaurd over them”. They r the ones who pocket the millions of dollars given to them so that the bochurem go to the army. Its time that you wake up and stop slandering rabonim by saying these factions r making fun of “the gedolim”. Or look at these terrorist demonstrating. (u started sounding like the UNs bias against israel) There is a machlokes and u shouldnt get involved. I only took this harsh stand to even things out a bit. If you would like to report on it do so evenly and fairly.
המצפה לרחמי שמים מרובים
it’s disgusting how YWN thinks they have the right to make fun of, lie, shame and distort the names of gedolei hador. he wasn’t poking fun at those gedolim, he was citing why he he believes they are wrong which he has a right to do. the actual video was made by him. But to kick dirt dirt on a gadol who r cohen, or r mazuz isn’t any greater than is appalling. Its one of the greatest biases thats being committed daily to anyone who is not zionist. regarding his party, he might have not had been supported by the sphardi rabbonim, but the most of the prominent litvish and chassidish rabbonim among them r shteinman and r chaim kanievsky (what YWN said that it was later learned not to be the case IS A LIE) i think or rather i know you better edit this article fast if you don’t want to be oiver any issurim, or if you don’t want to change the name of your website to Zionist World News. To outoftownjew YWN is still oiver on lashon horah because A) the same reason anyone is oiver lashon harah, but hey , the listener didn’t have to listen to me???? right?? B) YWN operates under the decoy of being yeshiva world news which surely no one would suspect it just feeds you biased lashon horah. and by the way to all the hypocrites discussing how he’s denigrating talmidei chachamim, theyr no greater a gadol than him.It’s amazing that you didn’t come after r shmuel auerbach and r malkiel kotler and others that hold similar positions like this. But on second thought its probably just because you knew you wouldn’t be able to convince the hamon am that these gedolim are just a bunch of baalei machlokes R”L.
Oy vey. One has to really feel bad over this situation. If I were a tzaddik I would cry bitter tears.Rav Ammon was one of the finest speakers, electrified his audience and brought many people to Teshuvah. I was in Israel at the time and I will never forget the great hashpa’ah he had. He always stayed away from chareidi politics and kept to his work that he was so good at. I could go on and on.
From the moment he decided to get involved in the chareidi political scene it was all downhill. Unfortunately I must agree with YWN for writing about him as this warns all to stay away. It is no longer beautiful Torah but an axe to grind. There’s no question that chareidi politics has its downside, but he’s only making things worse. The way he is making fun of gedolim is not machlokes but simply fighting in a disgusting manner.
May he not go the way of others who were once great rabbonim who became reformers and other types of destroyers and may he hear his own Torah and do his own Teshuvah. Gutten erev shabbos to all
This yeshiva world is yeshivas batei knesios shel am haratzim!!!!!! I’m not involved in this politics but based on passed articles, I’d sum up this site as
את אשר טהרתי
טמאתי ואת אשר טמאת טהרתי
to YWN,
its disgusting that you only publish what you want, all the zionists posting they reviews herer that have to do more with zionism than frum, torah views, but anyone who writes a real threat to your brainwashing, you just leave it out. the censorship is like communist russia. your ways are against the ways of gedolim of today and yesteryear. whoever on the YWN team is putting out these fabricated disgusting embarrassing posts will burn in hell for a very looong time. shame on you.
@daass torah – Anyone know what your talking about? I sure don’t. Please write in normal comprehensive understandable English.
@bruce – Where did YWN take a side inq machlokes in this highly informative article?
All I see is YWN rightfully exposing this fake phony fraud of a showman who Rav Ovadia thankfully destroyed for eternity.
But glad you concocted in your warped mind that YWN took a side in a machlokes in this article.
But once you brought it up, it seems to me that the Peleg is desperate at at the bottom of the barrel and decided to use Amnon Yitzchak to produce a nasty video to promote their agenda. So Rav Shmuel was Nebach Niftar suddenly, and the Peleg has no one to run the show. I guess the next best bet is Amnon Yitzchak. LOLOL.
What a joke and a bizayon hatorah.
Thanks YWN!
Bruce,daass, etc.
Most Peleg supporters are 35 and younger
Most Degel supporters are 35 and older
’nuff said!