Shas rabbi ordered haredi IDF commander to resign from military – report

A haredi commander in an elite IDF unit resigned from the military after Rabbi Avraham Salim, a senior Shas party rabbi, ordered him to do so, KAN News reported on Tuesday. Rabbi Salim reportedly told the commander to "leave the IDF because it is at war with the people of the Torah," and warned of potential harm to his family's social standing. While reserve service was deemed acceptable, any continuous ties to the military were discouraged. Initially, several senior rabbis supported the commander's enlistment following the October 7 massacre, but they withdrew their support as the haredi draft crisis intensified, leading to Salim's directive. Political figures, including MK Naama Lazimi and Yoaz Hendel, criticized the incident as an effort to undermine the IDF, with Hendel stating, "There is no justification for cooperating with non-Zionist parties that undermine the foundation of Israel's existence."