Rabbi Elyakim Levanon Shlita, Rav of the Shomron Regional Council and Rosh Yeshivat Elon Moreh, is being probed by the state’s Civil Service Commission disciplinary unit after the latter received a complaint against the Rav from the Reform Movement pertaining to recent statements he made.
The matter surrounds comments made by MK (Bayit Yehudi) Betzalel Smotrich following reports of some hospitals maintaining segregated maternity wards, keeping Arabs and Jews apart. Rabbi Levanon expressed his agreement, supporting the segregations of Arab and Jewish women in maternity wards.
The complaint also sites statements made by Rabbi Levanon pertaining to how one must act towards terrorists carrying out the attacks in the months that followed Rosh Hashanah 5776. He stated the attacks were from grassroots terrorists and the response must be the same, from the grassroots. He called for an end to dialogue and to move to the offensive to prevent future attacks. Rav Levanon also spoke of invoking emergency law permitting the government to circumvent the courts and thereby speed up the demolition of homes of terrorists.
When the vehicular attacks began, the rav also called to halt the sale of gas to Arabs in Yehuda and Shomron as a collective punishment.
These statements have led to a probe as the rabbi is state-appointed and therefore a civil servant.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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5 Responses
One of the more dangerous things the state of Israel has done to Klal Yisrael is assuming the authority and power of appointing Rabbis.
so much for Israeli democracy.
Levanon’s mindless and racist rants against Eretz Yirsroel’s nearly one million arab citizens should entitle him to a padded cell at government expense. He is a poor imitiation of Kahane without any of the redeeming values and should not be allowed to continue to have any role on public policy
3 he’s entitled to his free speech and views just like you
#3
I am mocheh on bizui talmid chochom!
Rav Levanon is a rov and a talmid chochom. I am not a talmid of his, and in fact I am very far from his hashkafos, but I know that his opinions are based on his analysis of the halachos involved.
You can disagree with him, but you must give him the respect he deserves.