Deputy Knesset Speaker Nissim Vaturi (Likud) sharply criticized former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen’s reported political ambitions during an interview this morning with Kol Chai radio, casting doubt on Cohen’s qualifications for leadership.
“Just because you go on missions abroad and speak some English doesn’t make you a prime minister,” Vaturi said. “You have to know how to run a country.”
Addressing the contentious issue of Haredi conscription, Vaturi advocated a more nuanced approach within the haredi community. “Our first priority must be to protect the Torah world,” he said. “You can’t draft everyone. There are many Haredim who aren’t studying Torah—they should be drafted.”
Vaturi described his own approach as pragmatic: “I told yeshiva students directly—if you’re not learning Torah, you’ll be drafted.”
He also highlighted his involvement with Hesder yeshivot, religious institutions that combine Torah study with military service. “It’s a completely Haredi lifestyle, and the parents support it. They see their children return home just as Haredi,” he noted.
Turning to broader political tensions, Vaturi linked the conscription debate to what he described as a power imbalance within the judicial system. “We need to change the justice system. Right now, it’s one-sided. They’re in control, and if they want, they’ll arrest yeshiva students. This is nothing short of a judicial coup.”
Despite recent tensions and the temporary withdrawal of Haredi parties from the coalition, Vaturi expressed confidence in their eventual return. “There won’t be a right-wing government without the Haredim,” he said. “We’ll maintain this alliance the right way. Even if they’re currently outside, they will come back. The Haredi public needs to understand—we’re fighting for them.”