Deri Accuses Zamir of Trying to Help Left-Wing Bloc During Election

Shas chairman Aryeh Deri accused IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir on Thursday of trying to help the left-wing bloc during the election period through his warning against the draft-arrest freeze. Deri said Zamir had crossed into politics, called the intervention a dangerous precedent and said it harmed the army, while also describing him as a friend whom he had defended. Opposition leaders Yair Golan, Naftali Bennett and Gadi Eisenkot rejected the accusation and defended Zamir. The dispute follows Zamir's warning that the temporary freeze and proposed IDF review panel would damage military manpower.