Rabbi Shmuel Bezalel, head of Porat Yosef Yeshiva in the Old City of Jerusalem and a member of the Council of Torah Sages, issued a public statement on Monday evening concerning the Draft Law, amid ongoing political and public debate over the proposal.
In his remarks, the rabbi emphasized that all proceedings related to the law were carried out with the consent of the yeshiva heads and in full coordination with the Council of Torah Sages.
“I declare that everything concerning the Draft Law was done solely with the agreement and counsel of the heads of the yeshivas,” Rabbi Bezalel wrote. “The committee received full reports on every detail - on every setback and every advancement in the legislative process.” According to him, the yeshiva leaders were involved at every stage and received complete information before each decision was made.
The rabbi further noted that, despite the law’s flaws and shortcomings, its approval is necessary: “We are aware of this law’s deficiencies, but given the current situation and the reality that has emerged - we must agree to it. This is not the place to elaborate on the reasons for that.”
Rabbi Bezalel stressed that no external figures influenced the decision: “I testify that no outside figure had any involvement in the decisions,” he said, adding a prayer: “May the Holy One, blessed be He, protect us from error and misstep, and may He do what is right in His eyes for the sake of His Torah.”
