Israeli politicians condemn Rabbi Dov Lando's remarks on Zionism and fallen soldiers
Footage of Rabbi Dov Lando, a senior ultra-Orthodox leader, saying religious Zionist soldiers die because of "distorted Torah" drew condemnation from opposition leaders three weeks before Israel's 27 October election. Netanyahu had not commented as of Al Jazeera's report.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Israeli opposition leaders condemned Rabbi Dov Lando, head of the Slabodka Yeshiva and a senior leader of the Lithuanian haredi community, over remarks in a video recorded at his home in Bnei Brak and reported by Channel 12 on 5 October. The Jerusalem PostRC “Israeli leaders condemned Rabbi Dov Lando, head of the Slabodka Yeshiva and a senior leader of the Lithuanian haredi community” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ Al JazeeraLC “In footage broadcast by Channel 12 on Monday, the 96-year-old Rabbi Dov Lando” Read at Al Jazeera ↗ Mixed · 2Speaking to a small group of rabbis, Lando said young haredi men who avoid the draft should not feel remorse over sacrifices made by the religious Zionist community, and that those killed "are being killed because their rabbis teach them twisted Torah". The Jerusalem PostRC ““They are being killed because their rabbis teach them twisted Torah....They kill people for honor."” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ Al JazeeraLC ““They are killed because their rabbis teach them a distorted Torah,” Lando said” Read at Al Jazeera ↗ Mixed · 2He also said it might have been best had Arabs or a UN government ruled the land rather than a Jewish state, blamed Zionism for Arab hostility toward Jews, and described secular Israelis as having built "a state of apostasy and heresy". The Jerusalem PostRC “It would have been quite good if Arabs ruled here, it would have been the best situation.”” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ Al JazeeraLC “He describes secular Israelis as having built “a state of apostasy and heresy”.” Read at Al Jazeera ↗
Mixed · 2Former prime minister Naftali Bennett called the remarks "shame and disgrace", antisemitic, anti-Zionist and anti-IDF, and said Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich back Lando and channel tens of billions of shekels to him and his associates. The Jerusalem PostRC “The statements of Rabbi Lando are antisemitic, they are anti-Zionist, against the IDF, and Smotrich and Netanyahu back him” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ Al JazeeraLC “funnel tens of billions of shekels to him and his friends” Read at Al Jazeera ↗ Mixed · 2Gadi Eisenkot, head of the Yashar party, called the remarks "anti-Zionism in its purest form" and urged every Zionist party to pledge not to sit with Lando's party; Avigdor Liberman of Yisrael Beytenu said "Without them, Bibi has no government". The Jerusalem PostRC ““His outrageous statements embody anti-Zionism in its purest form.”” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ Al JazeeraLC “Gadi Eisenkot, another opposition leader whose Yashar party has campaigned on enforcing the military draft, urged every Zionist party to pledge not to sit with Lando’s party.” Read at Al Jazeera ↗ Left · 1Al Jazeera adds that Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats, said Netanyahu is silent because without Lando and his emissaries he has no government; it reported that Netanyahu had not yet commented, though he publicly rejected Lando's remarks in July. Al JazeeraLC “Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats, put it bluntly: “Netanyahu is silent because without Rabbi Lando and his emissaries, he has no government.””“has not yet commented.” Read at Al Jazeera ↗
Left · 1Al Jazeera, describing Lando as 96 and spiritual leader of Degel HaTorah, said the comments were first published in February 2025 and resurfaced during a campaign in which ultra-Orthodox military service is a sharp fault line; the Supreme Court ruled in 2024 there was no legal basis for seminary students' exemptions. Al JazeeraLC “His comments aren’t new – they were first published in February 2025.”“The Israeli Supreme Court ruled in 2024 that there was no legal basis for ultra-Orthodox seminary students to have exemptions from military service” Read at Al Jazeera ↗ Left · 1Analysts quoted by Al Jazeera disagreed on the effect: Ehab Jabareen called Netanyahu's silence "calculated", while Mohammad Abu Rumman expected the remarks to "reinforce existing positions more than change voters’ choices". Channel 12 reported that the party would not rule out a government led by Eisenkot. Al JazeeraLC “Jabareen sees Netanyahu’s silence as “calculated”.”“Abu Rumman expects the remarks to “reinforce existing positions more than change voters’ choices”.”“the party would not rule out or oppose a government led by Eisenkot.” Read at Al Jazeera ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- Al Jazeera treats the row as an election story, placing Lando's remarks within the draft dispute, Netanyahu's dependence on ultra-Orthodox parties and a rift inside the Israeli right.
- Emphasis
- Context, analyst commentary (Jabareen, Khatib, Abu Rumman), Netanyahu's silence, and the fact that the remarks date from February 2025.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Gives less of Lando's quoted remarks about Arabs and the 'robbers' metaphor than the Jerusalem Post; does not quote Liberman.
- Charged language
- “stir Israel election row”“calculated”
- For example
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“Lando's comments expose tensions over Zionism, conscription and Netanyahu's ultra-Orthodox allies.” — Al Jazeera
““The question is not what he said, but why this discourse has been placed at the heart of the Israeli debate three weeks before the election,”” — Al Jazeera
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- The Jerusalem Post reports the remarks at length and leads with politicians' condemnation, quoting their posts in full.
- Emphasis
- Lando's quotes and the reactions of Bennett, Eisenkot and Liberman, including their attacks on Netanyahu's coalition and draft evasion.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention that the comments were first published in February 2025, Netanyahu's non-response, or the wider election and court context.
- Charged language
- “Twisted Torah”“shame and disgrace”“draft dodgers”
- For example
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“"The statements of Rabbi Lando against the fallen of religious Zionism who died to save us all are shame and disgrace,"” — The Jerusalem Post
“Israeli leaders condemned Rabbi Dov Lando” — The Jerusalem Post
What every side reports
- Rabbi Dov Lando was filmed at his Bnei Brak home criticising religious Zionism, saying soldiers die because of 'distorted/twisted Torah'.
- Channel 12 broadcast the footage.
- Bennett and Eisenkot condemned the remarks and Bennett blamed Netanyahu and Smotrich.
Where accounts differ
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Whether the remarks are new
- Left
- Al Jazeera says the comments were first published in February 2025 and resurfaced this week.
- Right
- Presented as a fresh video and reaction, without noting earlier publication.
Rabbi Dov Lando person
In the footage he says religious Zionist soldiers die because of rabbis' distorted Torah, that Torah study protects the country, and that a Jewish state was not necessary. He has not responded to the condemnation in the coverage.
“Lando argued instead that those studying Torah in yeshivas are the ones protecting the country's residents.” — The Jerusalem Post
““It is possible to live well with the Arabs without a state,” he says” — Al Jazeera
Naftali Bennett person
Bennett condemns the remarks and blames Netanyahu and Smotrich for funding Lando, pledging that draft evaders will receive no state money.
“Anyone who evades will not receive a single shekel from the State of Israel.” — The Jerusalem Post
Benjamin Netanyahu person
As of Al Jazeera's report Netanyahu had not commented; he publicly rejected Lando's remarks in July. Al Jazeera's analyst calls the silence calculated because he needs ultra-Orthodox parties for a coalition.
“has not yet commented.” — Al Jazeera
Left1 article
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Ultra-Orthodox rabbi’s anti-Zionist remarks stir Israel election row
Neutral Explains the row through election politics, the draft dispute and analyst commentary, noting the remarks are not new.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right1 article
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'Twisted Torah': Israeli leaders criticize Rabbi Lando anti-Zionist views
Critical Reports Lando's remarks at length and foregrounds opposition leaders' condemnations and attacks on Netanyahu's coalition.
- 5 Oct 20:46 First The Jerusalem PostRC 'Twisted Torah': Israeli leaders criticize Rabbi Lando anti-Zionist views
- 7 Oct 19:57 +47h 11m Al JazeeraLC Ultra-Orthodox rabbi’s anti-Zionist remarks stir Israel election row
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.