Former Mossad Director Ephraim Halevy spoke with Kol Chai Radio on Sunday afternoon, 9 Cheshvan, stating he is sorry if his remarks were interpreted incorrectly, and he never intended to insult anyone, including chareidim.

Halevy made an effort to apologize, explaining he feels the chareidim and others need to work towards achdus, and that was his point, not to besmirch the chareidi population in any way. He explained that he intended to oppose extremism in general and not chareidim specifically.

He reiterated that Rabbi Goren, a chief rabbi was a Torah scholar and he permitted many things that are being prohibited today, questioning where we are heading.

Regarding Iran, he stressed that “Yes, Iran can hit hard and it will be painful, and may result in much loss of life, but there is no existential threat. Israel is strong. We must not tell our enemies they have the ability to destroy us. This is very damaging”.

Regarding efforts by MK Moshe Gafne to have the attorney general launch a criminal investigation against him, Halevy stated “I am a regular citizen and the attorney general will decide and act accordingly”.

MK Gafne spoke with Kol Chai too, rejecting Halevy’s partial apology. He called the former Mossad director “too bodacious”, questioning what in the world chareidim have to do with changes in Bnei Akiva of kol isha in the military. “What does he want from us? How dare he compare the chareidi tzibur to Ahmadinejad, saying we pose a greater threat”.

“Once upon a time there was mixed singing and events in Bnei Akiva and today there is not. What does Ephraim Halevy want from us, the chareidim, it is not our call. Perhaps it demands a chesbon nefesh and perhaps Bnei Akiva realized that the ideology of the past was not correct. Baruch Hashem, today, there are many in the dati leumi world who realized the practices of Bnei Akiva of the past were wrong and they wish to correct it”.

“A soldier in officers’ training is compelled to listen to kol isha and if he walks out, which some did, and then they are ousted from the program. This is Halevy’s achdus? This is love for one another? What is so bad that a soldier walks out instead of listening to women sing? Who does his harm? There is no achdus and Halevy is just talking but understands nothing”.

“Had Halevy made the same comparison against immigrants from Ethiopia, Russians, right-wing, left-wing or who you like. It never would have passed but since he lashed out against chareidim, no one cares. In my eyes, the attorney general should have already received 120 complaints regarding his statements but no one reacts”.

Also addressing Halevy’s remarks was Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin, who stated that while he and Halevy are friends since childhood, the remarks hinted of anti-Semitism and were simply unjustifiable. He stated that not everyone who hears what he said can understand his intension and many who were in favor of the “final solution recall the Jews with beards and peyos”, stating this is what Halevy caused by is inappropriate remarks.

Rivlin warned that such remarks are used as ammunition by the enemies of Israel and for someone as intelligent as Halevy, one who headed one of the most prestigious institutions in the state, the comments were sorely out of place and simply unacceptable. The speaker added that incitement is unacceptable from anyone, including Halevy.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)