|
|
- 5 mei 2011
Rabbis: Regain control of Joseph's Tomb
Rabbi Zalman Melamed
Some 40 right-wing religious leaders, including Beit El Rabbi Zalman Melamed, tour Samaria. 'No foreign state will be established in the holy territories of the Land of Israel,' they say in special statement.
Dozens of right-wing rabbis toured the Samaria region on Tuesday in a bid to show their support for Jewish residents following the recent security-related events at the Itamar settlement and Joseph's Tomb.
The 40 rabbis, members of the Derech Emunah movement, visited Torah institutions in the Samaria communities, agricultural centers and local council offices, and stated that Jewish control of the area must be maintained.
The tour's most senior participants were Beit El Rabbi Zalman Melamed and chief rabbis of cities, towns and communities, as well as yeshiva heads.
"We came to Samaria as a delegation representing hundreds of rabbis from all over the country, in order to strengthen and support the Israeli settlement in Samaria," the rabbis wrote in a special statement issued at the end of the tour.
"We felt that this was obvious, especially after the grave acts of murder in Itamar and Joseph's Tomb. We came to strengthen the residents and were strengthened ourselves by the courage, bravery and sense of justice beating in Samaria."
The rabbis called on the Israeli government to "clarify to the entire world that the Land of Israel belongs to the people of Israel only, and will remain in their hands forever.
"No foreign state will be established in the holy territories of the Land of Israel. A Jewish government will be the only one to control Judea and Samaria, and the people of Israel will move freely and safely in all of their country's territories."
The Derech Emunah rabbis called on the government to "halt any negotiations with the Arab terrorists", claiming that "their 'security organizations' murdered Ben-Yosef Livnat – may the Lord avenge his blood – in cold blood, just like they have murdered several times in the past, often with weapons supplied to them by irresponsible statesmen."
Sherlo: Hasidim risking their lives
As for the control of Joseph's Tomb, the rabbis wrote that "Israel must regain control of all of Judea and Samaria. It must begin immediately at Joseph's Tomb, and free access to the tomb must be allowed just like to any other national holy site."
The delegation visited the communities of Bruchin, Har Bracha, Itamar, Elon Moreh, Havat Gilad and Shavei Shomron, and met with Council Head Gershon Mesika, Samaria Settlers Committee Chairman Benny Katzover, members of the Homesh First grassroots organization and others.
Meanwhile, Rabbi Yuval Sherlo, head of the Petah Tikvah hesder yeshiva, addressed the issue of Jews infiltrating Joseph's Tomb In an article which will be published this weekend.
According to Sherlo, Hasidim entering Nablus at night, without coordinating their visit with the army, are violating orders and risking their lives.
The rabbi stressed, however, that the Hasidim should not have been shot because of their behavior.
"They deserve to be punished, the entrance issue must be solved and different matters related to it must be dealt with. But this does not mean under any circumstance that they were thrown to the dogs," he wrote.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4064523,00.html
5 jan 2012, 15:23 , Respect -
Maria 16 mei 2011
Rabbi: Don't use dead man's sperm
Rabbi Yuval Cherlow
Head of Petah Tikva hesder yeshiva says deceased should be commemorated in variety of other ways, but not by generating fatherless offspring.
Rabbi Yuval Cherlow, head of the Petah Tikva hesder yeshiva, says frozen sperm must not be used for insemination purposes if its owner is no longer alive.
According to the rabbi, the deceased should be commemorated in a variety of other ways, but not by generating offspring who will be born fatherless.
Cherlow, who is considered an expert on ethics and Halacha, in the medical field as well, and is a member of different committees dealing with these issues, was asked by a reader on the Petah Tikva hesder yeshiva's website: "One of my relatives died at a young age, without having children. We know he had his sperm frozen. What should be done so that his name is not erased?"
The rabbi replied, "It's a real pity, (but) I believe it won't be right to use this sperm. His name can be commemorated by naming other newborns after him, by studying Torah and by doing justice for the transcendence of his soul."
Cherlow stressed that this was his own stance and that "there is a possibility to think differently". He explained why using a dead person's sperm for insemination was "wrong" in his opinion.
"My fundamental halachic and ethical stance is that medical technologies are there to deal with defects found in nature but not to invent new realities. Thus, I see no room for using a person's sperm after his death."
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4069038,00.html
5 jan 2012, 15:23 , Respect -
Maria 5 jan 2012, 15:23 , Respect -
Maria 9 juni 2011
Rabbi: Don't work in mixed pools
Rabbi Yuval Cherlow
Head of Petah Tikva yeshiva says men must not work as instructors in kayak facility, as that would mean 'being in a very immodest place all day long'.
The summer season is about to begin, along with some unique halachic issues: Rabbi Yuval Cherlow, head of the Petah Tikva hesder yeshiva, has ruled that a man must not work as a lifeguard in a swimming pool where women bathe or in a kayak rental facility where visitors arrive in their swimsuits.
A reader of the yeshiva website, seeking the rabbi's opinion, said he was considering working at a kayak facility in the Jordan River as an instructor who helps visitors get into the water and explains how to use the canoe.
He also wondered if he could work as a lifeguard in a swimming pool where women bathe. He said he had searched the Internet for answers, but could only find questions by women asking if they are allowed to bathe in a pool with a male lifeguard.
Rabbi Cherlow responded that by doing so, he would be crossing a red line. "Working with kayaks means being in a very immodest place all day long," he explained. "This isn't a matter of likelihood but a matter of certainty, and it's just like going to a mixed beach."
The rabbi added that the same applies to a lifeguard in a place where there are women.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4077046,00.html
5 jan 2012, 15:23 , Respect -
Maria 13 juni 2011
Rabbi charged with raping 12-year-old girl
Netanya rabbi tells minor she's fated to be 'messiah's mother,' must have sex with him to atone for sins.
A Netanya rabbi was charged on Monday with raping a 12-year-old girl. David Hafuta, 64, who prayed at the same synagogue as the minor, allegedly assaulted her on several occasions between July 2010 and May of this year.
According to the indictment, the girl asked Hafuta questions about religious matters. In response, he told her that he wants to "reveal her purpose in the world," and for that she has to meet him.
Last July, the defendant asked the victim to wait for him early in morning at a Netanya intersection. He picked her up in his car and drove her to the beach. There he told her that she is fated "to become the messiah's mother," and that she must "atone for all the bad deeds that she has done so far" by having sexual relations with him.
He then conducted a marriage ceremony with the girl while still in the car, and swore her to secrecy. At one point he asked her to take her clothes off, and assaulted her.
Rabbi 'abuse girl's trust'
The rabbi told the girl on several occasions that she possesses "destructive forces that might erupt and cause people to die," and that in order to control these "forces" she must have intercourse with him. He also said that she would save her mother by having sex with him. He reportedly assaulted her at several locations, including his office.
Moreover, the rabbi asked the girl to bring friends to him, and so she lead two other girls to his office. He told each one that "the war of Gog and Magog (Armageddon) is near," and that she is fated to "become the mother of the messiah and save the people of Israel."
The Central District Prosecutor's Office has motioned to extend his remand until the completion of the legal proceedings. "As a neighborhood rabbi and a familiar figure with a reputation in the field, the rabbi abused the girl's trust to have his way with her on several occasions," the attorney said.
5 jan 2012, 15:23 , Respect -
Maria 17 juni 2011
PETA urges rabbis to overturn dog's death sentence
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- A leading US animal rights organization is urging rabbinical authorities in Jerusalem to overturn a "death sentence" by stoning of a dog alleged to be a reincarnated lawyer.
The sentence stems from the suspicion that the spirit of a secular lawyer, said to have insulted the court's judges decades earlier, has been transferred into the dog's body, Israeli media reported Thursday.
Head of the court Rabbi Avraham Dov Levin reportedly denied calling for the dog's stoning. But one of the court's managers confirmed the sentence, the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has called the sentence "absurd."
"By sentencing an innocent animal to a painful death for such an absurd reason, this rabbinical court has not only completely discredited itself but also violated tza'ar ba'alei chayim ("the suffering of living creatures") -- one of the most important principles in Judaism," PETA said in a statement Thursday.
"Rabbi Levin should be given a mandatory psychiatric evaluation, and PETA intends to call for criminal charges against him for inciting cruelty to animals," the statement continued.
An Israeli animal rights group, Let the Animals Live, has also called on the court to overturn the sentence and filed a complaint with police against Rabbi Levin, the Ynet news site reported.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=397372
5 jan 2012, 15:23 , Respect -
Maria 28 juni 2011
Lior: Police ambushed me like KGB
Rabbi Dov Lior
Rabbi slams his arrest while author of book that led to it begins writing sequel on halacha in Gaza.
Rabbi Dov Lior said Tuesday that police had "ambushed" him a day earlier "like the Bolsheviks, like the KGB".
He added that he had been shocked by his arrest, on charges of incitement. "I don't know how they knew I was planning on traveling to Jerusalem," he told a few dozen students who attended a Torah lesson at his office in Kiryat Arba.
"They are looking for an excuse for persecution," the rabbi added. "All I did was agree with a book written by an important rabbi. I did not break the law, I just expressed an opinion."
The rabbi also advised his students not to change their opinion of the state. "Attitude towards the state has nothing to do with people's private decisions," he said.
Meanwhile the head of the Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva, Rabbi Yitzchak Shapira, said he is planning on publishing a sequel to the book endorsed by Lior, "The King's Torah".
The second book clarifies how the State of Israel should be handling the situation in Gaza according to the halacha.
Shapira discussed the popularity of "The King's Torah" with Hakol Hayehudi, a right-wing internet site, saying 2,000 copies have already bee sold and another 1,000 are expected to be printed soon.
He addressed the issues of religion and war, saying, "We hope we can manage to present how the practical conduct should be according to the King's Torah, such as the way the issues in Gaza are being handled today."
In his book, "The King's Torah", Shapira wrote, "When we approach a goy who has broken seven mitzvahs and we kill him because we care about carrying out seven mitzvahs – there is nothing forbidden about it."
Shapira adds that "in any event where a goy is endangering the life of Israel – it is permissible to kill him, even if he is a righteous gentile and he's not at fault for the situation."
'Torah needs no consent'
Rabbi Yitzchak Shapira
During an assembly held in the Mercaz Harav yeshiva in Jerusalem Monday, Rabbi Lior addressed his endorsement of the book.
"To accuse rabbis, who wrote something on Torah research, of inciting to violence and racism is a feature of a barbaric world," he said.
"Torah does not need consent," Lior noted. "We see there are attacks on scholars, things being concocted to smear their names. Divine intervention will eventually rescue them. We have wonderful youth, this will spur the young generation to ascend the tiers of the Torah."
"The development of Torah literature continues, and those writing books do not need the consent of anyone who tells them whether they can be published or not. What do scholars have to do with violence?"
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4088491,00.html
Sequel to 'The King's Torah' coming soon
Rabbi Yitzchak Shapira
Author of book which led to Rabbi Dov Lior's arrest over incitement to write on halacha in Gaza.
Head of the Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva Rabbi Yitzchak Shapira is planning on publishing a sequel to his book "The King's Torah," in which he clarifies how the State of Israel should be handling the situation in Gaza according to the halacha.
Shapira decided to speak out in support of the controversial book followig Monday's arrest of Rabbi Dov Lior, a very influential figure within the national religious community.
Shapira discussed the popularity of "The King's Torah" with Hakol Hayehudi, a right-wing internet site, saying 2,000 copies have already bee sold and another 1,000 are expected to be printed soon.
He addressed the issues of religion and war, saying, "We hope we can manage to present how the practical conduct should be according to the King's Torah, such as the way the issues in Gaza are being handled today."
In his book, "The King's Torah", Shapira wrote, "When we approach a goy who has broken seven mitzvahs and we kill him because we care about carrying out seven mitzvahs – there is nothing forbidden about it."
Shapira adds that "in any event where a goy is endangering the life of Israel – it is permissible to kill him, even if he is a righteous gentile and he's not at fault for the situation."
'Torah needs no consent'
Rabbi Dov Lior
During an assembly held in the Mercaz Harav yeshiva in Jerusalem Monday, Rabbi Lior addressed his endorsement of the book.
"To accuse rabbis, who wrote something on Torah research, of inciting to violence and racism is a feature of a barbaric world," he said.
"Torah does not need consent," Lior noted. "We see there are attacks on scholars, things being concocted to smear their names. Divine intervention will eventually rescue them. We have wonderful youth, this will spur the young generation to ascend the tiers of the Torah."
"The development of Torah literature continues, and those writing books do not need the consent of anyone who tells them whether they can be published or not. What do scholars have to do with violence?"
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4088491,00.html
Top settler rabbi briefly arrested in racism row
JERUSALEM (AFP) -- Israeli police briefly detained a leading settler rabbi on Monday in connection with an investigation into a book justifying the killing of non-Jews, police said.
Several months ago, police issued an arrest warrant for Rabbi Dov Lior, the chief rabbi of Kiryat Arba and other settlements around Hebron in the West Bank, after he failed to present himself for questioning in a probe against incitement.
"Rabbi Lior was detained and questioned for about one hour before being released," police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told AFP, saying he had been quizzed over his endorsement of a book called "The King's Torah" which says it is permissible to kill non-Jews.
In a rare move sparked by the arrest, Israel's two grand rabbis issued a joint statement denouncing it.
"We deplore this grave offense against the honor of one of the most important rabbis and leaders of religious opinion," Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi Yona Metzger and Chief Sephardic Rabbi Shlomo Amar said.
Lior, who also heads the Council of Rabbis of Judea and Samaria, Israel's term for the West Bank, is one of the main spiritual ideologists of the settlement movement.
Right-wing activists immediately called on supporters to gather outside various police headquarters to protest, and Rosenfeld said several youths briefly blocked the main highway leading into Jerusalem from the west.
An AFP correspondent also saw more than 100 protesters blocking another major road nearby.
Last August, Yosef Elitzur, a settler rabbi who co-authored the book, was arrested on suspicion of incitement to violence but freed without charge days later after a court found police had not followed proper procedure.
Written by Elitzur and another rabbi, the book reportedly says babies and children of Israel's enemies may be killed in certain circumstances since "it is clear that they will grow to harm us."
It also said non-Jews were "uncompassionate by nature" and that attacks on them "curb their evil inclination."
"Anywhere where the influence of gentiles constitutes a threat to the life of Israel, it is permissible to kill them," the rabbis wrote.
The book, published earlier this year, has drawn sharp criticism from numerous rabbis who say it contradicts the teachings of Judaism.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=400613
5 jan 2012, 15:24 , Respect -
Maria 30 juni 2011
Israeli rabbi urges killing of non-Jews
Israeli Rabbi Yitzhak Shapira advocates the killing of non-Jews to protect the Israeli regime.
An ultra-orthodox Israeli rabbi has defended the killing of non-Jews, including infants, in his new book on ways to tackle 'threats' against Israel.
In a sequel to his earlier book The King's Torah, Rabbi Yitzhak Shapira justifies the killing of non-Jews that “pose a threat to Israel,” while describing “practical” ways of dealing with the people in the Gaza Strip.
The King's Torah was first published in 2009.
Shapira was arrested last summer for encouraging Jews to kill non-Jews in his book. He was also suspected of involvement in a crude rocket attack directed at a Palestinian village in 2008.
In 2010, Shapira encouraged the use of Palestinians as human shields by army soldiers, even when the victim happened to be a civilian.
"Anything you do to keep the war tough is permissible and obligatory according to the Torah," Shapira proclaimed.
The extreme rabbinic rulings have offered the Israeli military a free hand to attack civilian population.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/186902.html
5 jan 2012, 15:24 , Respect -
Maria 3 juli 2011
Rabbi Yaakov Yosef detained for questioning
Shas spiritual leader's son arrested on suspicion of incitement after failing to report for questioning in 'King's Torah' book affair; released shortly thereafter. Rabbi's son promises public protest.
Police on Sunday detained Rabbi Yaakov Yosef, son of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, on suspicion of incitement for his endorsement of the "King's Torah" book. His car was stopped by officers as he was returning home from prayers at the Simon the Just tomb in east Jerusalem's Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.
He was released home after less than 30 minutes of questioning at the Police National Headquarters but was said to be uncooperative. The rabbi, who refused to give finger prints or answer questions, was released on bail for NIS 5,000.
A support rally for the rabbi was held outside his home in Jerusalem later on Sunday. Some of the rabbi's supporters started rioting at the end of the rally and called officers "Nazis." They were dispersed with water canons after hurling stones at police officers.
MK Michael Ben-Ari and MK Yaakov Katz attended the rally. "We have come to protest the disgracing of the Torah," Katz said. "Prime Minister Netanyahu, you are losing your government's moral legitimacy."
Bentzi, one of the rabbi's supporters said: "Torah laws are stronger than state laws." At the rally's sidelines, several right-wing protestors attacked two Arabs using tear gas.
Police decided to wait with the arrest in order to avoid riots such as those following Rabbi Dov Lior's arrest. Rabbi Yosef had failed to report for questioning for several months and was therefore detained Sunday.
The rabbi had spent the past few days surrounded by his followers who sought to prevent police forces from getting near him.
The rabbi's son, Amram Yosef, was with him in the car at the time of the arrest.
"Two minutes before we got home from the Rosh Chodesh prayer, police detectives stopped us at the traffic light, showed their IDs and ordered us to get out of the car and took it.
"This is a military vehicle belonging to the rabbi's student who is a captain at the IDF. My father was taken into questioning. Another police car took the rabbi's driver and I was left in the scene," he recounted.
"This is an abduction, outright car theft," the son claimed. "They have no authorization to take a private car. It's a disgrace that a rabbi is arrested for a religious opinion in the Jewish state while members of the Left who incite to violence are not even investigated."
MK Michael Ben Ari said: "The police have proved themselves bullies over Israel-loving rabbis. I dare them to do the same with sheikhs inciting in mosques and anarchists working against Israel."
Rabbi Yosef's arrest has already prompted protest Sunday morning. Tires were set on fire in Jerusalem's Moshe Zachs Street, most likely by the rabbi's followers. Three men who tried to block the Light Rail were detained.
The rabbi's father, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef criticized his son. "He was called in for questioning. Why shouldn't the fool go in for questioning? Let him go in! Why is he provoking the police? Why didn't he go in for questioning as soon as he was summoned? What was he afraid of? What, did he steal? He should have gone and gotten it over with," he said.
Yosef also slammed Rabbi Dov Lior, saying it was Lior's extremism that caused his son to get into an unnecessary conflict with the law.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the arrest during the weekly cabinet meeting, saying: "Israel is a state of law and no citizen is above the law. I demand that every citizen respect the law."
Protest and criticism
Rabbi Dov Lior, one of the leaders of the Religious-Zionist public, was arrested last week near Jerusalem and released after a brief interrogation. His arrest sparked nationwide protest during which 20 demonstrators were arrested. It also raised harsh criticism against the police and state prosecution by right-wing elements.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later issued a statement backing the law-enforcement system.
Leader of the haredi-Lithuanian faction Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv publically expressed his opposition to the King's Torah, which discusses the killing of non-Jews during war. Rabbi Ovadia Yosef joined him.
MK Nissim Zeev accused the State Prosecutor's Office of persecuting the world of the Torah and the religious public and described the arrest as an "anti-democratic act" and part of an intimidation campaign.
He said that the rabbi was an MK when the anti-racism law was legislated and that it was promised that it would not apply to halacha which can be interpreted as racist. "Tomorrow any cantor reading the Torah will be considered an inciter. Where is the freedom of speech?"
The MK claimed that the "King's Torah" does not contain any incitement against Arabs or non-Jews. "It's all provocation by someone at the State Prosecutor's Office who does not understand the book or the halachic style."
He added that one has the right to disagree with book's conclusions but that it's no reason to turn its supporters into racist as "almost all halachic matters are controversial."
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4090145,00.html
5 jan 2012, 15:24 , Respect -
Maria 4 juli 2011
Rabbi promotes 'modesty wounds'
Girls should hurt their legs if parents won't let them wear long skirts, rabbi says.
What should a girl do if she wishes to dress modestly but her parents won't let her? According to Rabbi Yitzchok Zilberstein she can injure herself in order to use it as an excuse for dressing modestly.
Last week Rabbi Zilberstein, the the son-in-law of prominent Rabbi Yosef Elyashiv, received an inquiry from a women's college coordinator about a student who is growing increasingly religious. The student said she wanted to dress modestly but her parents were preventing her from doing so, because they were not religious.
"The young woman is facing a difficult challenges from her family members, who forbid her to dress modestly," the college coordinator wrote in the inquiry.
"The young woman thought that if she inflicted wounds on her legs she could tell her parents that she is wearing a long skirt to cover the wounds," the letter said.
Rabbi Yitzchok Zilberstein
Rabbi Zilberstein's reply came shortly after, with an unequivocal answer: "She is allowed to inflict wounds on her legs in order to dress modestly and evade sin."
In his reply, the rabbi commended the student's initiative, saying "the blood from the self-inflicted wound will atone for the people of Israel," adding that the coordinator should allow the student to commit the act.
Last February, Rabbi Zilberstein was asked whether a man that hangs a sign reading "Beware, dog in the yard," although he is not the dog owner, is lying to his neighbors.
The rabbi replied that it is not false pretence, but recommended to drop the word "yard" in order for the warning to remain ambiguous.
In his explanation, the rabbi wrote, "The yard owner isn’t trying to gain benefits from anyone, but is only trying to prevent thieves from entering his property."
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4083216,00.html
Update: Riots after Israel police quiz rabbi on 'racist' book
JERUSALEM (AFP) -- Supporters of an Israeli rabbi questioned by detectives on Sunday over his endorsement of an allegedly racist book rioted in Jerusalem, burning tires and injuring a policeman, police said.
Police spokeswoman Lubra Samri said that a total of seven people were arrested for various public disorder offenses, including a pepper spray attack on a Palestinian passer-by and attempts to block roads.
"One police officer was lightly injured in the protests," she told AFP. Local media said he was hit in the stomach by a stone thrown by the rioters.
Earlier police briefly detained for questioning rabbi Yaakov Yosef, son of one of Israel's top religious leaders, over his endorsement of a religious book that justifies the killing of non-Jews in certain circumstances, police said.
News of the police action brought around 1,000 of Yosef's supporters onto the streets of Jerusalem, where they torched rubbish bins and blocked a main road until they were dispersed by mounted police and water cannon, an AFP photographer said.
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said police moved against the demonstrators after they started throwing stones at officers.
Yosef was detained for around an hour after he ignored repeated summonses for questioning over his endorsement of a book called "The King's Torah."
Yosef is the son of rabbi Ovadia Yosef, a highly influential religious leader who is also the spiritual head of the Shas party, part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling coalition.
Yosef is the second high-profile rabbi to be questioned over the book, after police last week briefly detained rabbi Dov Lior, a key member of the settler movement. His detention also prompted protests by his students and supporters.
Rosenfeld said Yosef was "questioned on suspicion of inciting violence and racism" over his support for the book.
"He was released after approximately an hour. After he was held, his supporters burnt tires," Rosenfeld added. He said protesters also blocked trials of the city's light railway system, expected to enter service later in the year.
Rabbi Lior's detention last week prompted rare criticism from Israel's two chief rabbis, who described it as a "grave offense against the honor of one of the most important rabbis and leaders of religious opinion."
But speaking at the opening of the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu said there would be no special treatment for rabbis.
"Israel is a nation of laws, as I said a few days ago. Nobody is above the law -- and I demand that every Israeli citizen respect the law," he said.
"The King's Torah" has stirred up controversy since its publication. Last August, its co-author settler rabbi Yosef Elitzur was arrested on suspicion of incitement to violence.
But he was freed without charge days later after a court found police had not followed proper procedure.
The book, which has been banned from sale in Israel, reportedly says babies and children of Israel's enemies may be killed in certain circumstances since "it is clear that they will grow to harm us."
It also says non-Jews are "uncompassionate by nature" and that attacks on them "curb their evil inclination."
"Anywhere where the influence of gentiles constitutes a threat to the life of Israel, it is permissible to kill them," the rabbis wrote.
The book, published earlier this year, has drawn sharp criticism from many rabbis who say it contradicts the teachings of Judaism.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=402131
5 jan 2012, 15:24 , Respect -
Maria 5 juli 2011
Israel arrests raise specter of rabbis vs state
Rabbi Dov Lior (R) and Rabbi Yaakov Yosef participate a demonstration by some 1,000 Orthodox nationalist
By Marius Schattner
JERUSALEM (AFP) -- Challenges to Israel's justice system by a small group of ultra-nationalist rabbis have raised the specter of theocracy in Israel, where religion is deeply intertwined with affairs of state.
Over the past week, police have detained, questioned and released two very influential rabbis as part of an ongoing investigation into a banned book called "The King's Torah," which justifies killing non-Jews under certain circumstances.
The arrests have sparked violent protests and a raging debate about whether rabbis are above the law, and about the limits of religious freedom of expression.
Both rabbis, Dov Lior and Yaakov Yosef, say they are victims of the lay justice system, which seeks to limit their authority by refusing to accept opinions based on scripture and rabbinic tradition.
Their supporters argue that the arrests could set a dangerous precedent that would clamp down on rabbinical opinion in the name of the fight against racism.
Following Yosef's arrest on Sunday, around 1,000 of his supporters took to the streets of Jerusalem, burning bins and blocking roads before being dispersed by mounted police.
And on Monday, around 2,000 people massed outside the Supreme Court -- the symbol of secular law -- to protest the arrests.
"I have come here to bring the message that the laws of the Torah are above the laws" of the state, said Shmuel Eliyahu, a rabbi from the hilltop town of Safed in Galilee, which is an important center of Jewish mysticism.
Last year, Eliyahu issued a religious ruling calling on Jews not to rent or sell property to Palestinian citizens in a move that sparked outrage and deep concern in Israel.
Following Sunday's protests, the Maariv newspaper warned of the rise of "a new current in Judaism which seeks the death of the rule of law."
Israel, it said, had turned into "the only country in the world where religious figures are above the law and where the police have no right to question them."
Israel's political leaders were also quick to condemn the attitude of the rabbis and their followers. Opposition chief Tzipi Livni told army radio that they were acting as a group which "refuses to recognize the authority of judges and wants to replace them with rabbis."
Their actions, she argued, hit "at the roots of the State of Israel" -- which defines itself by law as Jewish and democratic.
"Israel is country of law and order," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted Sunday, implicitly criticizing the attitude of the two rabbis, who were detained after repeatedly ignoring police summonses to come for questioning.
"Nobody in Israel is above the law, and I demand that each and every citizen respect the law," he told cabinet ministers.
Even Ovadia Yosef, spiritual leader of the ultra-Orthodox Sephardic party Shas and father of Yaakov Yosef, was critical of his son's attitude to the police.
"Why does this idiot not respond to a police summons," he was quoted as saying by all the main Israeli newspapers and websites.
Both Yosef and Lior were detained in connection with their endorsement of a controversial theological treatise called "The King's Torah."
The book reportedly says babies and children of Israel's enemies may be killed in certain circumstances since "it is clear that they will grow to harm us."
It also says non-Jews are "uncompassionate by nature" and that attacks on them "curb their evil inclination."
"Anywhere where the influence of gentiles constitutes a threat to the life of Israel, it is permissible to kill them," the rabbis wrote.
The book, published earlier this year, has drawn sharp criticism from many rabbis who say it contradicts the teachings of Judaism.
Lior, who was briefly detained last week in a move which also sparked mass protests, is the spiritual leader of Kiryat Arba settlement as well as of the Jewish settlements located in the heart of the West Bank city of Hebron.
In 1995, he cursed then-prime minister Yitzhak Rabin for his willingness to make concessions to the Palestinians, and his teachings are thought to have influenced Yigal Amir, the Jewish student who went on to assassinate the premier in November of that year.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=402730
Far right to join forces with haredim?
Baruch Marzel
Extreme right-wing activists met with Eda Haredit reps following Rabbi Lior's arrest to discuss possible mass protest outside Supreme Court.
Extreme right-wing activists are trying to enlist the help of the Eda Haredit for a joint battle against Israel's legal system and are planning a mass protest outside the Supreme Court.
Organizers were disappointed Monday when only 1,000 turned up to protest the arrest of rabies Dov Lior and Yaakov Yosef in Jerusalem.
A secret meeting between right-wing activists and Eda Haredit elements was held in Jerusalem on Sunday, following Rabbi Lior's arrest. The parties are considering joining forces to fight what they call "the legal system's persecution of rabies."
The meeting was attended by extreme right-wing activist Baruch Marzel, Kiryat Arba councilmen Israel Bramson and Bentzi Gopstein and various Eda Haredit activists.
"A decade ago the two worlds came together in a joint protest outside the Supreme Court which was attended by 500,000 people," Marzel said, referring to the demonstration against Aryeh Deri's conviction. "We know full well the significance of the cooperation, but are not sure this will eventually take place due to severe ideological disagreements," he added.
"The idea is to join forces because the only reason that the small left wing is still influential is because we are divided," he said. "If we eventually reach an understanding it will be all-inclusive and will change the balance of power."
'It won't be easy'
Gopstein admitted that enlisting the help of the haredim will not be easy, but noted that they are all united against the Supreme Court and Deputy State Prosecutor Shai Nitzan.
"It may take some time, but I believe we'll see a mass protest outside the Supreme Court in the coming months."
During the meeting the parties decided that they will each seek the approval of their rabies and later meet to decided on operational matters.
http://fwd4.me/05mb
5 jan 2012, 15:24 , Respect -
Maria 6 juli 2011
Western Wall rabbi targeted
Rabinovitch. 'Radical groups of settlers and haredim trying to hurt him'
Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch gets personal bodyguard after being harassed nonstop, receiving threats.
Who is trying to hurt Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch? The Western Wall rabbi received a personal bodyguard several weeks ago after getting telephone threats and being harassed on a regular basis for the past few months.
In the past month, unknown assailants threw stones at the rabbi's car. Luckily, he wasn't hurt. In a separate incident, the car's tires were slashed.
"There are radical groups of settlers and haredim which are trying to hurt the rabbi," says a source involved in the affair. "They opposed his activity at Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai's tomb on Mount Meron, when he tried to find a solution for the control struggles around the complex, and the renovation of Joseph's Tomb by Arabs, which the rabbi was responsible for.
"Settlers have been making statements against the rabbi, like 'If you harm the Land of Israel – you'll be harmed."
In the past, the rabbi was attacked by an angry mob, members of the extreme Eda Haredit faction, while leaving the home of Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv.
The Prime Minister's Office, which the Western Wall rabbi is subject to, is funding Rabinovitch's security expenses following the police's evaluation of the situation.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4091519,00.html
Peres: Rabbis must shun extremism
President, Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar agree to work together to settle rift over 'King's Torah'.
President Shimon Peres and Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar met in Jerusalem on Wednesday to discuss the controversy surrounding the book "Kings Torah," and agreed to join forces "to preserve the rule of the law and protect the honor of the Torah."
"The rule of law is the foundation of our existence, and all are equal before the law," Peres stressed at the beginning of the meeting, which took place at the President's Residence.
"The rabbis of Israel, as the public's spiritual leaders, have a great responsibility to protect these principles, and to avoid making extreme statements and commentaries that hurt the moral strength of Israeli people, state and Torah," Peres said.
Amar joined the president in urging the public to stay away from extremism.
"According to the Rambam (Maimonides), the appropriate way is the central way, which is the golden path," he said, and added that "Now more than ever, the rabbis and public leaders must be cautious with their words, in order to prevent the excited youth from following their orders by taking grave and extreme actions."
The meeting was held days after rabbis Dov Lior and Yaakov Yosef were questioned over their support of the book "King's Torah," which discusses the Jewish law's stance on killing non-Jews during wartime.
Rabbi Amar said during the gathering that a few months ago he offered the authorities and the rabbis involved to hold an informal hearing at his office about the affair, in order to prevent a confrontation between the two sides – but the discussion never took place.
Peres and Amar agreed to work together to settle the affair.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4091939,00.html
5 jan 2012, 15:24 , Respect -
Maria 6 juli 011
West Bank rabbi calls for annexing West Bank to Israel
RAMALLAH, (PIC)-- Fanatic West Bank settler rabbi Dov Lior has called for annexing the West Bank to Israel in order to thwart Palestinian efforts to declare an independent state.
Lior was recently arrested on charges of inciting to kill non-Jewish children.
He said that when Israel annexes the West Bank there would be peace and security in the region.
Meanwhile, Hebron (Al-Khalil) Hills Regional Council head Tzvika Bar-Hai has made calls to attract thousands of Jews to live in the Negev considering its security importance.
Bar-Hai called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to give in to pressure and to allow the Israeli occupation of the land to continue.
He declared that a Palestinian state would not be established west of the Jordan River and said he was convinced that Netanyahu would end the “nightmare of a Palestinian state in the heart of the Jewish nation,” alluding to the West Bank.
Also, international law expert Hana Issa has warned in a fresh press statement that Israel’s Jerusalem municipality’s approval of plans to build 900 settlement units in the Gilo settlement was aimed at splitting the settlement from Bethlehem and eastern West Bank.
That would unilaterally impose Israel’s political occupation of the area, he warned.
http://fwd4.me/05r5 5 jan 2012, 15:24 , Respect -
Maria 7 juli 2011
Inside Torat Hamelech, the Jewish extremist terror tract endorsed by state-employed rabbis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7t_LxpCY2G8
Last year, I reported on a convention of top Israeli rabbis who gathered to defend the publication of Torat Hamelech, a book that relied on rabbinical sources to justify the killing of gentiles, including infants “if it is clear that they will grow up to harm us.” The most prominent rabbinical endorsers, Kiryat Arba’s chief rabbi Dov Lior and Yaakov Yosef, had dismissed police summons at the time, insisting that man’s law could not touch the halakha. A year later, in late June, the Israeli police finally arrested Lior for his role in endorsing and promoting the book.
Riots broke out almost immediately in the wake of the arrest, with mobs of religious Zionists burning tires and attempting to storm the Israeli Supreme Court compound. Fearing more riots and with sales of Torat Hamelech surging, the police handled Rabbi Yosef with kid gloves, requesting he come in for questioning but not arresting him. In the end, the state neglected to remove Lior, Yosef, or any other state-employed rabbi from his position for endorsing Torat Hamelech.
Why is Torat Hamelech so explosive? Yuval Dror, an Israeli journalist and academic, excerpted some of the book’s most incendiary passages. What appeared was Jewish exclusivism in its most extreme form, with non-Jews deemed permissible to kill, or Rodef, for the most inconsequential of wartime acts, including providing moral support to gentile armies. The book is a virtual manual for Jewish extremist terror designed to justify the mass slaughter of civilians. And in that respect, it is not entirely different from the Israeli military’s Dahiya Doctrine, or Asa Kasher and Amos Yadlin’s concept of “asymmetrical warfare.” The key difference seems to be the crude, almost childlike logic the book’s author, Rabbi Yitzhak Shapira, marshals to justify the killing of non-Jewish civilians.
Here are passages from Torat Hamelech, as excerpted by Dror and translated by Dena Bugel-Shunra:
II. Thou Shalt Not Commit Murder
Maimonides wrote in the Halachas of Murder, Chapter A, Halacha A:
He who kills one soul of Israel violates a prohibition, as it is said “thou shalt not commit murder, and if he committed murder maliciously, in front of witnesses, his death shall be by the sword…
It is therefore made explicit that the “thou shalt not commit murder” prohibition refers only to a Jew who kills a Jew, and not to a Jew who kills a gentile, even if that gentile is one of the righteous among the nations… we have derived that from the verse “thou shalt not commit murder”, one cannot learn that there is a prohibition on killing a gentile.
(Page 17-18)
VIII. Conclusion
I. A gentile must not kill his friend, and if he has killed, he must die.
II. The prohibition “thou shalt not commit murder” refers to a Jew who kills another Jew.
III. A Jew who kills a gentile is not required to die.
IV. The prohibition on a Jew killing a gentile derives from the fact that a gentile is not allowed to kill a gentile.
(Page 27)
I. A gentile is killed for one death, and with one judge
A gentile who violates one of the seven rules [of Noah] must be killed, and he is killed based on the word of one witness and with one judge and with no warning.
II. A witness becomes a judge
For the Sons of Noah [gentiles] the witness can himself be a judge. This mean: if one person saw the other committing a crime – he can judge him and kill him for this, as he is the witness and he is the judge… Moses [moshe rabbenu] saw the Egyptian hitting a man of Israel, and killed him for that. So there Moses is the witness and is the judge, and this does not delay the carrying out of the law upon the Egyptian.
(Pp. 49-50)
What transpires from these matters is that when you judge a gentile for crimes that he has committed – you must also consider the question of whether he has repented, and if he has – he must not be killed… moreover: it is better that the gentile repent than that we kill him. If we come upon a gentile who does not abide by the Seven Laws [of Noah], and the importance of abiding by them can be explain to him, so he will repent – we would prefer to choose that path, and not judge an kill him.
(page 70)
It is explained in Yerushalmi [codex] that when a [child of] Israel [a Jew] is in danger of his life, as people tell him ‘kill this particular gentile or you will be killed’ – is permitted to kill the gentile to save himself… and the [interpreters of the law] Rashi and Maimonides say that the law of requiring to die rather than commit the crime is only valid in case of a Jew against another Jew, not in the case of a Jew against a stranger living among them… It is clear from these statements that when the choice is between losing the life of a stranger living among them and losing the life of a child of Israel [a Jew] – the simple decision is to permit [the killing].
(Pp. 157-158)
When the question is of a life of a gentile weighed against the life of a child of Israel [Jew], the initial proposal returns, which is that a Jew can violate law in order to save himself, as what is at stake is the soul [life] of a Jew – which supersedes the entire Torah [code of law] - in contrast with the life of a stranger living among us, which does not permit any Torah prohibition to be superseded.
(page 162)
To save the life of a gentile, one does not violate the Sabbath rules, and it is clear from this that his life is not like the value of the life of a child of Israel, so it may be used for the purpose of saving the life of a child of Israel.
(page 167)
An enemy soldier in the corps of intelligence, logistics, and so forth aids the army that fights against us. A soldier in the enemy’s medical corps is also considered a “rodef” [villain who is actively chasing a Jew], as without the medical corps the army will be weaker., and the medical corps also encourages and strengthens the fighters, and helps them kill us.
A civilian who supports fighters is also consider Rodef, and may be killed… anyone who helps the army of the evil people in any way, strengthens the murderers and is considered to be Rodef.
(page 184)
III. Support and encouragement
A civilian who encourages the war - gives the king and the soldiers the strength to continue with it. Therefore, every citizen in the kingdom that is against us, who encourages the warriors or expresses satisfaction about their actions, is considered Rodef and his killing is permissible. Also considered Rodef is any person who weakens our kingdom by speech and so forth.
(p. 185)
We are permitted to save ourselves from the Rodef people. It is not important who we start with, as long as we kill the Rodef people, and save ourselves from the danger they pose. And see for yourself: if you say that the fact that there are many of them brings up the question of whom to start with, and that that question is supposed to delay us from saving for ourselves - why it stands to reason: the existence of any one of them postpones the salivation, and this is the reason to treat each and every one as a complete Rodef, and to kill him, so he will not cause this ‘life-threatening’ question…
Whoever is in a situation where it is clear that he will chase and danger us in the future - it is not necessary to give it fine consideration as to whether at this moment, exactly, he is actively helping the chasing [harassment?] of us.
(Pp. 186-187)
X. People who were forced to partner with the enemy
We have dealt, so far, with gentiles whose evil means that there is a reason to kill them. We will now turn to discuss those who are not interested in war and object to it with all force…
We will start with a soldier, who is party to fighting against us, but is doing so only because he has been forced by threats to take part in the war.
If he was threatened with loss of money and such things - he is completely evil. There is no permission to take part in chasing and killing due to fear of loss of money, and if he does so -he is a Rodef in every definition thereof.
And if he was threatened that if he would not participate in the war, he would be killed - according to the MAHARAL [rabbi]… just as he is permitted to kill others - so, too, can others (even gentiles)kill him, so we will not die. And for this reason, according to the MAHARAL, it is simply evident that such a soldier may be killed.
And according to the Parashat Drachim [rabbi? Or possibly book of law?] - he must not participate in the murdering even if he must give his life due to this. And if he does so [participates] - he is evil and may be killed, like any other Rodef.
We will remind, again, that this discusses all types of participation in the war: a fighter, a support soldier, civilian assistance, or various types of encouragement and support.
(P. 196)
XVI. Infants
When discussing the killing of babies and children - why on the one hand, we see them as complete innocents, as they have no knowledge, and therefore are not to be sentenced for having violated the Seven Laws, and they are not to be ascribed evil intent. But on the other side, there is great fear of their actions when they grow up… in any event, we learn that there is an opinion that it is right to hurt infants if it is clear that they will grow up to harm us, and in such a situation the damage will be directed specifically at them.
(Pp. 205-200)
IV. Killing the enemy like killing our own men
If the king is permitted to kill his own men for the purpose of war - that same opinion also holds with regard to people who belong to the evil kingdom. In a war of righteous people against evil people, we assume that the evil will eventually hurt us all, if we let it raise its head, and the people of the evil kingdom will also suffer from it.
We are, in fact, arguing to any person from the evil kingdom: if you belong to the evil king - you are liable to be killed for helping murderers; and if you do not help him - you should help us, and it is permissible to kill you as we kill our own people (as we are all in trouble together, and in such a situation it is permissible to kill the few in order to save the many.)
This theory also permits intentional hurting of babies and of innocent people, if this is necessary for the war against the evil people. For example: If hurting the children of an evil king will put great pressure on him that would prevent him from acting in an evil manner - they can be hurt (even without the theory that it is evident that they will be evil when they grow up.)
(P. 215)
VII. Revenge
One of the needs which exists, in the hurting of [Evil people?] is the revenge. In order to beat [win the war against] the evil people, we must act with them in a manner of revenge, as tit versus tat…
In other words, revenge is a necessary need in order to turn the evil-doing into something that does not pay off, and make righteousness grow stronger; and as great as the evil is - so is the greatness of the action needed against it.
(Pp. 216-217)
Sometimes, one does evil deeds that are meant to create a correct balance of fear, and a situation in which evil actions do not pay off… and in accordance with this calculus, the infants are not killed for their evil, but due to the fact that there is a general need of everyone to take revenge on the evil people, and the infants are the ones whose killing will satisfy this need; and they can also be viewed as the ones who are set aside from among a faction, as reality has chosen them to be the ones whose killing will save all of them [the others from that faction?] and prevent evildoing later on. (And it does indeed turn out that to this consideration, the consideration that we brought forth at the end of the prior chapter also definitely is added - which is, that they are in any event suspected of being evil when they grow up.)
14 juli 2011
Haredi radio to play women's voices?
According to compromise reached with Second Authority for Television and Radio, Kol Barama station will broadcast special programs presented by women. But radio official states, 'We'll let women speak only under certain conditions and in times of emergency'.
Ultra-Orthodox radio station Kol Barama will soon start playing women's voices on its programs, The Second Authority for Television and Radio decided during a meeting last week.
The issue was addressed following complaints filed with the Second Authority against the station's refusal to have women present programs or call in as listeners.
According to a recent Ynet report, the radio station's special programs for women are presented by men, and female listeners are asked to send in recipes and questions by fax. Now the station is being obligated to include on its broadcasting schedule special programs presented by women.
Moment before sanctions
In a discussion held by the chairman of the Authority's radio committee, journalist Yossi Elituv, the committee said it viewed the haredi station's proposal as the beginning of a positive move, and that it was important to resolve the issue through a dialogue and avoid sanctions.
Kol Barama operates as part of a Second Authority franchise and is one of two haredi radio stations (along with Kol Hai Radio). It is defined as a "religious Sephardic" station.
Dr. Ilan Avisar, chairman of the Second Authority, said he would suggest to its members to accept the radio committee's recommendation. He added, however, that the station would have to provide clarifications for implementing the approved plan with specific schedules, within four months.
'If needed, we'll reexamine decision'
But a Kol Barama official rushed to lower expectations, saying that women's voices would be heard on the radio "in two very specific cases: In times of emergency, and on a single weekly program which will allow women to call in and express their opinion on different issues."
This move, the official said, will be done "in a gradual and controlled process, aimed at examining the effect of this sensitive move on the station's wide audience. If needed, we'll reexamine the issue and possibly return to the current situation."
According to the station, the move was the result of "secular and Reform organizations' appeal to the Second Authority. Following negotiations with the Authority, and a recommendation from the station's spiritual committee, it was decided to permit the broadcasting of a woman's voice," although under very limited conditions, as stated.
"Kol Barama was founded to provide appropriate service to all factions of the haredi public, and it will continue to maintain the principle of 'All glorious is the princess within her chamber'."
The radio committee accepted the compromise, and will vote on it along with the Authority chairman's recommendation. According to estimates, the proposal will be given a seal of approval.
About two months ago, Shas' spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef ruled that the voice of a woman talking can be heard on the radio. Kol Barama said at the time that no appeal has been made to the rabbi on its behalf and that there would be no change in the station's policy on the matter.
http://fwd4.me/06cl