Yisrael Beytenu chief and former Defense Minister MK Avidgor Liberman excoriated the United Right party Tuesday morning, and accused Religious Zionist pre-army academies of leading a ‘dangerous’ revolution among army recruits.
Speaking at the 2019 Herzliya Conference Tuesday morning, Liberman blasted the Religious Zionist establishment – targeting its political leaders, rabbis, and army prep schools.
“What is happening to Religious Zionism is a Greek tragedy. I was friendly with Zevulun Hammer and Yitzhak Levy,” said Liberman, referring to lawmakers for the Jewish Home’s forerunner, the National Religious Party.
“But now the historic National Religious Party has nothing in common with the Jewish Home or National Union – no connection between Zevulun Hammer and Bezalel Smotrich.”
Liberman blamed the change on the “take-over by a small group of fanatical haredi-Religious Zionists [Hardal].”
“I hope it will end,” continued Liberman, expressing hope for a return to the pre-Jewish Home days of the National Religious Party. “I want to see the historic National Religious Party, not the National Haredi-Religious Party.”
Turning to Religious Zionist pre-army preparatory schools, Liberman accused Religious Zionist rabbis of using the schools to form “private militias”.
“The preparatory academies are developing in the direction of private militias, a kind of Falange,” referencing the right-wing Spanish Falangist movement, and the Lebanese Phalange paramilitary group.
“I asked students at an army prep academy what they would do if they received an order from their commander, but their rabbi told them to do the opposite. I was shocked to see that most of them took 30 to 40 seconds to think about it. Most of them said they would obey their orders. But some said explicitly: ‘I won’t go against the rabbi’s instructions’.”
“When I look at this incredible situation, where soldiers are being taught not to follow direct orders but to adhere to spiritual authorities, to the rabbi, that is a dangerous thing.”