Eavesdropping in the home of Maran Rosh Yeshiva!

Leaking information from private meetings between the gadol hador and his close associates to the media!

The case being dubbed the ‘Chareidi WikiLeaks’ has brought shock, criticism and anger to the chareidi community. The case involves eavesdropping in the home of HaGaon HaRav Aaron Yehuda Leib Shteinman Shlita. The leaked information seems to be based on illegal eavesdropping in the gadol hador’s home, simply recording private conversations between rabbonim surrounding the rav and senior IDF officers and politicians from the Bayit Yehudi party. Journalist Benny Rabinowitz, the official spokesman for R’ Shteinman’s home told Kol Berama Radio that the tape recordings are premised on “tendentious sources and dishonest quotes that have no basis in truth…” He made no effort to hide his anger, stating those responsible will be brought to justice. Rabinowitz used the harshest terms to describe an unprecedented level of chutzpah, to place a recording device in the home of the gadol hador and then leak information containing his words with his closest associates to the media!

The leaked information alleges meetings between representatives of the rav surrounding the chareidi draft law. These meetings involved associates of the gadol hador and R’ Shteinman had no personal involvement. The meetings were reportedly held with IDF Directorate Head of Planning Brigadier-General Gadi Agmon, MK (Bayit Yehudi) Ayelet Shaked, with the latter heading the committee finalizing the new draft law. The meetings apparently avoided a serious crisis over the new draft law.

The leaked information shows that the gadol hador has adopted a pragmatic attitude, seeking to find a workable solution amid a new reality, while opponents feel this proves they are correct and they must step up their opposition as the R’ Shteinman camp is willing to make concessions.

YWN-ISRAEL adds this is the line that Maran the Rosh Yeshiva Shlita has maintained all along, instructing talmidim to respond to draft orders and to complete forms with personal information, nothing more, while HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Auerbach instructs his talmidim not to respond to the induction centers at all.

Rabinowitz told Moti Lavi during the “Eight to Ten” program on Monday morning 3 Adar I 5774 that an official complaint has already been filed with police and “the person responsible for placing a recording device in the rav’s home belongs behind bars and we will see to it that he is placed there”. Rabinowitz angrily explained that the recording in secret in the rav’s home by a participant in the meetings “represents crossing all red lines”.

The recordings include praises showered on Shaked for her willingness to cooperate with the chareidi tzibur, adding “she has the integrity and fairness of a pilot”, noting her husband is a former fighter pilot.

The leaked information not only found its way to the chareidi media, but to Haaretz as well, which also reported that leaks were not limited to the chareidi draft issue but also addressing internal Degel Hatorah issues, including meetings of the Moetzas Gedolei Yisrael.

The leaked tapes report a private meeting was held in Maran’s home ahead of the convening of the Moetzas Gedolei Yisrael and they spoke of fears surrounding the passing of the new draft law, including an IDF induction center exclusively for chareidim, suggesting the new induction center should not become operational until the law is passed to avoid riots “which would not be good for us”.

The leaked information simply stated, enhances and highlights the split between Degel Hatorah and the split off faction, the followers of HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Auerbach Shlita, and just how bad the situation has become.

YWN-ISRAEL adds that over recent weeks all material surrounding this machlokes has been ignored, not wishing to be a vehicle to further machlokes. Hence reports on the differences between Bnei Brak and Yerushalayim have not appeared on YWN-ISRAREL.

However, due to the magnitude of these painful new developments, we have decided to report the Chareidi WikiLeaks to the tzibur at large.

In his interview with Kol Berama, Rabinowitz added “There was no direct or indirect connection between the home of Maran Rav Shteinman and military officials. The firm opinion of Rabbi Shteinman has not changed, even for a moment, not to compromise under any circumstances and that all talmidei yeshivos without exception will continue working on their limudim.

“These words have been put in writing countless times. The situation, the lack of law regulating the status of bnei yeshivos as a result of the disqualification of the Tal Law leaves the only body authorized to deal with the postponement of military service by bnei yeshivos is the heads of the defense and security establishment, the IDF. Therefore, Degel askanim and rabbonim will continue addressing them towards permitting bnei Torah to continue limudim.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)