Shas spiritual leader and former Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, launched a harsh attack against Yashar Party Chairman Gadi Eisenkot, warning against forming a government under him.
During an address at an Ashdod conference, Rabbi Yosef discussed the possibility of elements from the opposition and the left forming a government and raised past grievances from Eisenkot's tenure as IDF Chief of Staff.
"We saved the Talmudei Torah (haredi elementary schools)," Rabbi Yosef said. "If the left, Eisenkot, and his friends take control, oy vey! He was the Chief of Staff; he passed a decree in the military for a male and female soldier to be in a tank together. Oy vey. I was Chief Rabbi at the time; I explained the severity of the matter. He didn't even answer me. Friends, a bit of respect: you're the Chief of Staff; a Chief Rabbi turns to you... He doesn't even answer."
The harsh words come in complete contrast to remarks Rabbi Yosef made two months ago, when he said: "Gadi Esenkot is a good person, a warm Jew; he loves those who study Torah; his grandmother voted Shas and wanted him to be a rabbi; while that didn't happen, you could trust him. We can go with him in the upcoming elections; we can support him to be the next prime minister."
At the time, the rabbi also attacked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: "Netanyahu cheated us on the conscription law and other things. He can not be trusted; he's a liar."