State Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein has announced he is instructing police to launch a criminal investigation against Tzfat’s Sephardi Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu for possibly violating laws prohibiting incitement. The attorney general accepted the position of the state prosecutor, who feels the rabbi crossed the permitted line in statements he made against the Arab community, statements made in the media that the attorney general feels were indeed incitement to racism against the Arab community.
Weinstein feels the rabbi broke the law and he wants police to gather evidence to build a case so the rabbi can face criminal prosecution.
Interestingly, Weinstein is not recommending criminal charges against Rabbi Eliyahu and 50 rabbis who signed a letter calling on the tzibur not to rent or sell property to Arabs, a letter that elicited the ire of many politicians and public officials alike. The attorney general feels that letter is protected under the nation’s freedom of religion laws.
The rav faced similar charges in 2006, and a deal was reached in which he apologized, satisfying police and that case was closed.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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2 Responses
B”H for wonderful rabbanim like Rav Shmuel Eliyahu shlit”a, who tell it like it is.
I’m sure his father, Rav Mordechai Eliyahu ztz”l is getting great nachas in Gan Aden.
STRANGE & perverted LEGAL SYSTEM in Eretz Yisroel.
If you are religious or right wing, every statement is scrutinized, rechecked and investigated and called INCITEMENT—-if you are left wing, from the elite families and secular every comment and statement is “FREEDOM OF SPEECH”.