Rabbi Dov Lando, one of the leading figures of the haredi community, delivered a sharp criticism of efforts to draft yeshiva students into the IDF during a rare interview published as part of a special educational program for thousands of students preparing to move from smaller yeshivas to larger ones.
The interview included footage of a meeting at Rabbi Lando's home in Bnei Brak with Mir Yeshiva heads Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda Finkel and Rabbi Binyamin Finkel, who thanked him for his fundraising efforts abroad on behalf of yeshivas following reductions in government funding.
During the conversation, Rabbi Lando strongly condemned government officials and members of the religious Zionist community who support drafting yeshiva students into military service. "There are wicked ones, including those wearing knitted kippot. They encourage murder. They wage wars not to save lives, but for the honor of the state," he declared.
Asked how the haredi public should respond to the current challenges facing the Torah world, Rabbi Lando described the situation as difficult and complex but said he had no political or practical guidance to offer beyond strengthening prayer.
When questioned about how much young yeshiva students should engage with political debates over religion and state, he gave a brief and unequivocal answer. "They shouldn't think about it so much. They need to learn, not to think about anything other than learning."