Former Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, spiritual leader of the Shas party, has sparked controversy by calling Rabbi Tamir Granot, a bereaved father and head of a Tel Aviv hesder yeshiva, a heretic for supporting the conscription of yeshiva students. In a recording aired by Kol Chai radio, Yosef criticized Granot for advocating military service for religious students, suggesting such views amount to heresy and questioning whether Granot should be counted in a prayer quorum. The remarks have drawn widespread condemnation from across Israel's political and religious spectrum, with both allies and opponents of Shas denouncing Yosef's comments as divisive and disrespectful, especially given Granot's loss of his son in combat. The dispute highlights ongoing tensions over the role of the ultra-Orthodox community in national service and the broader debate on religious and civic responsibilities in Israel.