Interior Minister Aryeh Deri has come out again in support of Rabbi Yigal Levinstein, who came under fire from Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman after condemning the IDF’s new policy of integrating women into combat units.

Deri met on Thursday morning 25 Adar with prominent dati leumi rav Rabbi Chaim Druckman Shlita, Rosh Yeshivat Yeshivot Bnei Akiva. During the visit Rav Druckman showed Deri a rare printing of the Rambam dating back 400 years.

The two discussed the matter of the Defense Minister trying to decertify Bnei David due to Rabbi Levinstein’s remarks, and the fact that Rabbis Levinstein and Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Eli Sadan Shlita were summoned by the Defense Minister Director-General to a hearing on the matter next week.

Deri, who used the media to express his total backing for Rabbi Levinstein and his comments when he made them, once again commented that he stands firmly behind Rabbi Levinstein while he may not necessarily agree with how the remarks were made. Nevertheless, he explained, the rav’s hashkafa are daas Torah, nothing less.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)