Israel is fighting a holy war on Judaism, ultra-Orthodox leader claims

Israeli economists opposed to the government's judicial reform are fighting a religious war against Judaism, United Torah Judaism lawmaker Moshe Gafni claimed during a political gathering at the religious central Israel kibbutz Hafetz Haim on Saturday evening.

Gafni launched a scathing attack on economists whom he claimed to have met with over the past few months, stating that “their war is not socio-economic or security-related, it’s a war on religion.

“This is how it should be referred to and [we] must be careful not to say what should not be said,” the UTJ MK added.

Gafni laments warning against Israel's judicial reform

Gafni lamented economists for what he claimed were false warnings against the judicial reform, explaining that he “met with economy leaders many months ago and they told me how severe the situation is and what might happen to the economy if the reform passes.

“By the way, a lot of time has passed since then and the economy is in great shape,” Gafni said.

The Jerusalem Post reported last month that the New Israeli Shekel has depreciated in value by around 10.34% against the USD since the beginning of 2023, having taken a particularly significant dive in value at the beginning of March.

“I told them – this is not about the judicial reform or anything related to it, you are carrying out a religious war against us,” Gafni continued. “This is why members of Degel HaTorah do not take interviews anymore, this will not help anyone.”

Gafni also heavily criticized the scenes at Tel Aviv’s Dizengoff Square during Yom Kippur, where fighting broke out as some worshipers tried to set up partitions to separate men and women, which the Tel Aviv municipality and the High Court of Justice had banned because it was a public space.

“What we saw in Tel Aviv” is proof of a war on religion, Gafni claimed. “When fighting breaks out over Kol Nidre prayers in Tel Aviv, this means we are in the midst of a war on religion.”