MK (Yesh Atid) Aliza Lavie sent a letter to Bayit Yehudi leader Minister Naftali Bennett regarding the candidacy of Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu in the race to become the next Rishon L’Tzion. Lavie questions if it is sufficient for a candidate to wear a kippa sruga to receive Bayit Yehudi support, or if the party also feels a need to agree with a candidate’s hashkafa.

She points out that a chief rabbi “is the face of Israel and the Jewish People for many around the world”. The Chief Rabbinate she explains influences the nation regarding its relationship with one another and Diaspora Jewry. Therefore, while she supports elected a Zionist chief rabbi, she feels Rabbi Eliyahu is not the man for the job.

Lavie feels that Rav Eliyahu, the Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Tzfas, has made too many derogatory statements about women, Arabs, and supporting refusing orders in the IDF. Lavie feels that Eliyahu has crossed the acceptable line with his statements and his apologetic words that followed harsh criticism against him were too little too late.

She did not forget to point out that Rav Eliyahu is “assisted by the chareidim for his objections to the state giyur”, citing this as another objectionable point to his candidacy. She feels that regarding certain issues, “the rabbi represents extremist chareidi views and this has resulted in his receiving support from the Litvish chareidi community.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)