Arrests of Two Prominent Rabbis Prompt Demonstrations
Hundreds of protesters demonstrated in front of the Supreme Court in Jerusalem against the arrest of two prominent rabbis.
The demonstrators, which some Israeli media outlets said numbered at least 2,000, rallied Monday evening in support of Rabbi Dov Lior, the chief rabbi of Kiryat Arba, and Rabbi Yaakov Yosef, the son of Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef.
Both rabbis were arrested and questioned in the past week on suspicion of incitement for their endorsement of the controversial book “Torat Hamelech,” or “The King’s Torah,” which reportedly discusses situations in which it is permissible for Jews to kill non-Jews.
The book’s author, Rabbi Yitzhak Shapira, previously had been detained and questioned over the contents of his book.
Hundreds of people also demonstrated Sunday in Jerusalem following the arrest of Yosef.
“Rabbis should express their opinion and not fear someone won’t like it,” Lior told protesters Monday evening, while also thanking those responsible for the arrests, “otherwise we would still be sleeping.”
Speakers said they attended the rally to protest a double standard under which rabbis were arrested for their interpretations of the Torah but left-wing academics who called for violence against Jewish settlers were not investigated.
Following the peaceful demonstration, protesters blocked the roads leading into Jerusalem, as well as the light rail, and damaged a pipe near the Chord Bridge. Police used water cannons to stop the rioting protesters. Five demonstrators were arrested.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30
