Supreme Court Justice Uzi Fogelman became visibly angered over the petition filed by Yahadut Hatorah to block Rabbi Aryeh Stern Shlita from running in the Jerusalem Rabbinate race. The court referred to the petitioners as “charlatans”, announcing the verdict would be announced immediately following Rosh Hashanah. The hearing of the petition took place on Thursday 15 Elul as the chareidi party continues efforts to delay the Jerusalem Rabbinate race elections. The party realizes that Rabbi Stern will be 70 in December and then he will be disqualified from running as a candidate due to his age.

The judge told petitioners “you considerations do not interest me. In another two years it will be another minister from another sector”. He turned to the petitioners and added “you want to regulate the regulations. This is a far stretch trying to prove they are illegal”.

One might assume based on the court’s tone that the ruling will not be a favorable one for the chareidim. If this is the case, it is hard to believe anything else they can do will succeed in delaying the election. That means the election will be held as scheduled, on 27 Tishrei 5775.

At present, Rabbi Stern, the dati leumi candidate, is assured a victory and will become the next Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Yerushalayim.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)