Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem’s Old City HaGaon HaRav Avigdor Nebenzahl Shlita spoke with Noam Zeigman of Kol Berama Radio on Sunday morning 22 Tammuz, stating he is not sure if he erred in his decision to permit two Zaka volunteers to go onto Har Habayis to tend to the bodies of the slain terrorists who were eliminated during the perpetration of the Erev Shabbos terror attack.
“It is Zaka’s duty to tend to bodies but I am not certain I did not err [regarding my decision to permit them onto Har Habayis]” stated the rav.
The rav explained he viewed the Zaka volunteers as being soldiers but now he is not sure that he decision was correct.
Zaka commander Bentzi Oaring was also interviewed on the program, explaining it was not Zaka personnel who removed the slain bodies of the terrorists from Har Habayis, but this was done by a police vehicle. The vehicle took the bodies to the Mughrabi Gate and from there, Zaka took over.
Oaring added that he had a conversation with Rav Rosa, the organization’s posek, and he stated specifically not to enter Har Habayis at all because it is a ‘isur d’oraissa’.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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8 Responses
True godol admits when he may have been wrong
Of all the issues of concern to the Rabbanut now, why are we wasting time focusing on this 20/20 hindsight about kavod hames in the context of these terrorists? The noble actions of Zaka, even for terrorists, shows the elegance of yidden, even when dealing with the bodies of the enemy. Perhaps, it will someday help with world opinion when we are negotiating for return of c’v victims of an attack on Israelis (though I wouldn’t hold by breadth).
This article gives so little information there isn’t even enough to start asking proper questions. What was the basis of the heter in the first place. What difference if they are soldiers. etc etc
“Zaka commander Bentzi Oaring was also interviewed on the program, explaining it was not Zaka personnel who removed the slain bodies of the terrorists from Har Habayis, but this was done by a police vehicle”
The last photo in the YWN post “Recap of Friday Morning Islamic Terror Attack on Har Habayis” shows a very frum young man on Har Habayis who certainly doesn’t look to be the type who would be going there otherwise. It seems someone did rely on a heter,
This is like programming. I need to run each statement separately to see if it will work!
Why do ywn allow through terribly aggressive rhetoric but not different perspectives on a story?
What I wrote was not disrespectful. As one with experience with rabbanim especially on this subject, this is simply based on the fact that rabbanim will often have something they will say publicly but quite another privately.
It must take a lot of courage to say in public that he erred.
I would think Zaka should request from the border police to put the terrorist bodies in garbage cans and wheel them out of Har HaBayes before letting Zaka take care of them, but I am not much of a posek….