The Supreme Court has turned down a request by Religious Services Minister (Shas) Yitzchak Cohen to remove a restraining order prohibiting him from appointing a new chief rabbi in Yerushalayim.

The minister was stopped from moving ahead with plans when a petition was filed by National Union MK Uri Ariel and Jerusalem opposition leader Nir Barakat, both claiming the process as it stands today permits the minister to appoint a chief rabbi as he sees fit.

Ariel explained that he feels the current procedure demands modification to ensure a chief rabbi is appointed in accordance to the needs and desires of a city’s residents, explaining in Yerushalayim, it is unacceptable that a non-Zionist rav stand at the helm of the capital.

Ariel explained further that Cohen is seeking to give the post to a son of Rav Ovadia Yosef Shlita, and despite his Torah qualifications, he represents the chareidi stream and this is unacceptable in the capital with its large Zionist and secular populations, which seek a dati-leumi rav.

Ariel and Barakat are trying to modify the guidelines which determine the procedure for appointing a new chief rabbi to a city or municipality to prevent a minister from acting unilaterally to favor his own political motives.

When asked to respond, Cohen stated that it is not true that he requested that the court remove the temporary restraining order that prevents appointing a rav today, but added the court has given him up to 30 days to respond and to seek to reach an agreement in the matter.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)