Channel 13 Reporter Sparks Outrage with Tweet Wishing for End of Haredi Society

Yosef Israel, the foreign news correspondent for Channel 13 News, ignited a firestorm on social media with a provocative X post (formerly Twitter) suggesting that Israel's goal should be the complete disappearance of Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) society within 50 years. The comment, posted late Monday night, drew sharp condemnation from Haredi leaders and online users, prompting Israel to delete the tweet and issue a formal apology.

The original post read: "The goal toward which the State of Israel should strive: That in 50 years, there will be no Haredi society. At all. Only in museums."

It was in direct response to statements by Shas party chairman Aryeh Deri, who warned about the economic hardships facing the Haredi community due to pressures related to military conscription and budget cuts. Deri had said, "When you suddenly push a very large population into distress, people are forced to seek other solutions, and the results could be harsh and bitter."

Amid mounting criticism, Israel followed up with a clarification on Tuesday morning, sharpening his critique: "Clarification because it seems to me that it was missed: To be a religious Jew who observes the commandments, no matter how strictly, you don't need to be in a 'Haredi society' that is closed and leeches off the state."

He described the current Haredi model as a "ghetto mentality" that has no place in a modern state, adding, "We anyway shouldn't have to carry this shtetl on our shoulders. In 50 years, God willing, there won't be such a thing."

The posts quickly went viral, eliciting furious responses from the Haredi community and beyond. Haredi journalist Yaki Adamker lambasted Israel, writing, "The crazy guy with the sick tweet is a commentator on Channel 13. I believe they would have honored him 80 years ago," an apparent reference to Nazi-era persecution.

Other reactions on X and in media outlets decried the statement as inflammatory and divisive, with some calling it an attack on religious freedom and Jewish heritage.

Supporters of Israel's view, however, argued it highlighted legitimate concerns about economic dependency and societal integration in Israel.

Facing the backlash, Israel deleted the original tweet and posted a full apology: "I deleted the tweet about Haredi society. It was unsuccessful and misunderstood in a twisted way. It's a completely sociological diagnosis and not theological, and here's what I think: In the 21st century, there's no place for a closed society in the name of religious piety. This doesn't exist anywhere in the world, and it's a real existential threat. If we're looking for culprits in the situation regarding the Attorney General, we can go to Ben-Gurion who allowed this arrangement and perpetuated a closed and unproductive society. Every person has the right to choose how to live, certainly in terms of their religious faith. It can't be at the expense of general society. And this is also an opportunity to apologize from the bottom of my heart if anyone was hurt by the previous tweet."

The incident comes amid ongoing tensions in Israel over Haredi military exemptions and economic contributions, issues that have fueled political debates and protests. Shas and other Haredi parties have repeatedly defended their community's focus on Torah study as essential to the nation's spiritual and security well-being.