Bayit Yehudi leader Minister Naftali Bennett announced Finance Minister Yair Lapid’s recent Facebook post vowing to oust the Chief Rabbis of Israel from their post is not something that he will permit to pass quietly.

Lapid feels that since the rabbonim have signed their names to a psak Halacha opposing IDF service for women they are not suited to serve as senior civil servants and their psak represents crossing a red line, demanding their dismissal.

Choosing to wait until after the levaya of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to respond, Bennett, who is also the Minister of Religious Services stated, “My hashkafa is that every woman must serve in the IDF or alternatively in Sheirut Leumi. This is the view of the overwhelming majority of the dati leumi tzibur. However, an attack against a psak Halacha of the Chief Rabbis of Israel, whose position is the traditional consistent position since the establishment of the state is an assault against the very kovod of the nation and totally out of place.”

Bennett added, “One may or may not adhere to their position but a threat to dismiss them is not acceptable in my eyes and as Minister of Religious Services I do not intend to discuss such a possibility. The culture of dialogue in Israel will not become one of beheading one another.”

Echoing Bennett’s words was Deputy Minister of Religious Services Rabbi Eli Ben-Dahan, who added that Lapid’s words display a lack of knowledge of history for the psak prohibiting women from serving in the IDF, was signed by Rabbi Yitzchak Herzog, who was the grandfather of opposition leader MK Yitzchak Herzog. Rav Herzog ZT”L was the chief rabbi when the state was established and this psak Halacha has been endorsed by all the chief rabbis since that day.

“The finance minister may do as any other citizen and he can accept or reject the psak Halacha but he does not have the right to challenge the legitimacy of the psak of the Chief Rabbis of Israel, and certainly in this case when he is not expert in the details of the matter” stated Rabbi Ben-Dahan.

MK (Yahadut Hatorah) Meir Porush stated “Lapid crossed a red line with his attack and with his chutzpah incites against the chief rabbis simply because he does not agree with their position.”

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(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)