Quote of the Day (qotd)

Now we find out that Barak is not trendy, is not cool, but is a posek halacha. After Avishai Braverman turned into a hassid of Rav Elyashiv regarding the issue of Har HaBayit, claiming that he is opposed to Jews ascending Har HaBayit because the rav paskened so, now Ehud Barak comes along and tells us his halachic opinion regarding the halachic issue of women singing.
It seems that the Labor Party has given up hope of attracting the secular voters of Israel, and has decided, as a strategic approach, to take away votes from the Haredi parties. Eli Yishai and Litzman - Beware! Barak is breathing down your necks!

------ MK Dr. Michael Ben-Ari (National Union)

Ben-Ari said this in response to DM Ehud Barak "paskening" during a talk with soldiers who are in the process of converting to Judaism. Barak told the soldiers that it is permitted for them to listen to female soldiers singing at army performances "if their voices are nice".
Barak bastardized a psak of Rav Ovadiah Yosef, who allows listening to female voices via the radio or recorded music, and applied the psak to live music as well. Barak's statement raised the ire of rabbonim close to Rav Elyashiv for getting involved in issues of halacha, and this, they say, is a classic reason why the Conversion Beis Din of the army is not reliable - because they are subject to pressures from politicians and generals and are not independent enough.