“Deri Has No G-d! I’m More Religious Than Him”: Bennett Erupts in Chareidi

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett grew heated during an interview on the Haredi news site Kikar HaShabbat. Pressed over his recent attack on Shas chairman Aryeh Deri, Bennett doubled down. "Aryeh Deri has no God! He's not religious, I'm more religious than him!" he said, according to a clip posted by the site's political commentator, Ishay Cohen.

In the clip, Bennett grows increasingly animated and emphatic as Cohen challenges him on how he could say Deri "has no God." The clip has circulated widely on Israeli social media. Some viewers focused on Bennett's temperament, while others engaged with the underlying fight over religion and the draft. Bennett also posted about the interview himself, noting that Cohen had challenged him over the remark.

The original comment came at the ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth "People of the State" conference earlier this month. "Yesterday Deri once again said he would bring tens of billions of shekels to the draft-dodging public. He has no G-d," Bennett said there. "At a time like this, when soldiers are being ground down, he's talking about transferring more money to draft dodgers. That's why we'll make a revolution. We'll take the money from the draft dodgers and transfer it to those who serve."

Bennett, who leads the Beyachad party, has made Haredi draft evasion a centerpiece of his campaign ahead of the October 27 election:

"The Servants' Revolution"

He has pledged to redirect NIS 30 billion in state funds from draft evaders to soldiers and reservists, saying that "for 17 years, Netanyahu has been funding draft evasion in exchange for remaining in power."

The "Deri Law"

He has proposed legislation that would bar anyone who evaded IDF service, or who encourages draft evasion, from sitting in the security cabinet. (Deri served three months in the IDF.)

No Haredi partners

He has ruled out a coalition with the Haredi parties as long as they back exemptions. "The door is locked to anyone who supports draft evasion," Bennett told Kikar HaShabbat. "The most serious problem threatening the future of the Jewish state in the Land of Israel is the fact that 15% of the public already lives within a separate and disconnected Haredi state."

Shas has hit back hard. In an earlier round of the feud, the party told Bennett to "take your shoes off from your feet when you dare to speak about Shas chairman Rabbi Arye Deri," noting that Deri has sat in security deliberations for over 30 years. Shas has also called claims that Deri encourages draft evasion "false accusations."