"It is terrible and horrifying, to me, the great blasphemy, that the people of Israel, who are God's people, established a state of destruction and apostasy. This is a great lesson that we must learn."
The photographs published by the Israeli Channel 12 show the leader of the ultra-Orthodox Ashkenazi community, Rabbi Dov Lando, 96 years old, criticizing Zionism and the IDF, which have provoked a major crisis in Israeli politics. Lando is the spiritual leader of the 'Degal HaTorah', a pillar of Netanyahu's coalition, which has seen a sharp break in recent times due to the ultra-Orthodox military recruitment.