Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
Israel – Deputy Attorney General Shai Nitzan instructed the police to launch an investigation against several prominent rabbis in the Orthodox community on suspicion of incitement.
Today’s decision followed petition filed by the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC) back in March. The IRAC filed its petition following several media reports suggesting Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky decreed that Jews were no longer allowed to hire Arab laborers.
The rabbi issued the alleged ordinance following the deadly attack on Mercaz Harav rabbinical seminary in Jerusalem.
Also implicated in the case is Haim Barzilai, Rabbi Kanievsky’s operations officers, who reportedly sent “supervisors” out to the Orthodox community in order to ensure that the rabbi’s word was adhered.
The Attorney General’s Office did, however, find no grounds to launch an investigation against Rabbi Kanievsky at this time.
Two-dozen rabbis are also suspected of distributing flyers after the bulldozer attacks in Jerusalem, describing east Jerusalem residents as “the tip of the iceberg of a national problem which has become an existential threat to the people is Zion.”
Also under investigation is Rabbi Dov Lior of Kiryat Arba, who warned his followers against the perils of hiring Arabs or having them as tenants.
The Israel Religious Action Center issued a statement saying “over the past few months we have seen deterioration in incitement activity in Israel. This matter should concern anyone who cares about the Israeli democracy. We welcome these investigation and home the will serve justice.”
with evil people like these in the gov we dont need the arabs to kill us, these guys will do the jobs themselves
This week we had the proof that this advice should be followed. An Arab employee stabbed his employer (who employed him for 4 years and considered him a “friend”). Time to listen to Rabbi Kanievsky. We have given the Arabs free reign, and armed them, and we keep releasing more and more of them as “goodwill gestures”. What do we get in return?? Twenty years ago, the Arabs walked around Yerushalayim meekly, selling their fruits. They were scared of us!!! Today they own the place!! Why didn’t we listen to Kahana?
Wasn’t there a a bulldozer attack by an Arab worker?
Unfortunately some liberal elites in Israel care more about offending Arabs than upholding the holiness of the land.
idiots
Its a difficult issue, one side we have a real great rabbi – R kanievsky, in the other side we have democracy our only strange and hope around the globe.
To our lovely brothers in Israel: we can’t compromise on democracy!!!
I guess these leftist agitaters never had family members murdered by Arab savages.
We are reminded once again that Israel is not a democratic govt. but a Socialist one. You can’t rely on the govt. and then protest against it.
Two points:
#1 For those who think they know better, I’ll take the well-thought-out words of our Rabbis, leaders who toil in Torah and who immerse themselves in matters of the Klal, over the mumbling bumbling government and nay-sayers, any day. Not only because it is logical to do so, but because it is one of the positive commandments of which we are required to follow their word, even if they tell us that right is left. Sure, we are allowed, even obligated to ask for explanations, but we, the laymen, may not invalidate their edicts based on our own opinions. For those who don’t have their own Rav, who may or may not follow the p’sakim of Rav Kanievsky, you are like a blind horse traveling along a cliff.
#2 The fact is, the cultish following, of which Rabbi Kanievsky enjoys, would certainly never allow their Rav to be treated as a criminal. Rioting and demonstrations would be massive and unprecedented in scope…..not something helpful for the country as a whole. But that’s democracy for ya, cut off your nose despite your face.
The Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC) is the political action, so called “tikkun ha”olam branch of the “Reform” movement that is attempting to pollute Eretz Yisrael in the same way they have tainted American Jewry. Since when do we take any hashpoa from them? I have unfortunately too much experience with Reform. They are the ones who married one of my nephews on Shavuous and the other on Sheva Aser b’Tammuz. To do any kavod to my widowed only sibling I had to sit at an outdoor chuppa in 90 degree heat on a fast day, followed by watching my Jewish brethren drink non-kosher champagne and eat fancy foods while I observed my fast. If we leave our fate to the “politically-correct” folks of the IRAC, we will be intermarried out of existence….Pay no heed to them at all!! I wish we could banish them from Eretz Hadoesh; the government there is already sinister enough without them to add to it.
glad they tried to pick a fight with the godol hador. now hopefully g-d will be mirachem on us
I cant stop laughing at the Israeli governments foibles. Starting up with a centurion when they feel impotent against the arabs in gaza. What eating chazer can do to a jewish brain!
I guess in ISRAEL they have a problem with people speaking their minds???? There is no melech. What a backwards country!
Gevaldig!!! Best laugh I had all day.
are these people just completely naive and blind or are they evil malicious reshayaim bent on the physical and spiritual destruction of the jewish people?
I don’t think they realize what they are about to get themselves into
Crazy Israelis. They are shooting themselves in the foot. Arabs working for jews sometimes kill their employers. Still, these ads were probably too inflammatory. It is one thing to say not to employ arabs due to security risks, It is another thing to cite “the tip of the iceberg of a national problem which has become an existential threat to the people is Zion.”
Still it is not the fault of Rabbi Kanievsky, he probably just signed what was given to him by someone else. Still, Rabbis should not just sign every paper somebody sticks in front of them. Remember the Lipa ban?
The Israel Religious Action Center appears to follow the peace now ISM line. Who funds these folks? Don’t these fellows understand democracy is not a suicide pact. There is a fundamental diffrence between incitment and taking reasonable precautions. If the price for saving a Jewish life is hurting an Arab’s feelings it is worth it . Self interest is not always a sin. But to go after these holy personages? That tells the reader how without morals The Israel Religious Action Center is.
Hey, here is a crazy idea: Isreal does not have a constitution. If they did it would likely include free speech, seperation of shteeble and state and other protections Isrealis do not currently have, leaving charaidim defenseless against the courts and secular Isrealis at the mercy of the Rabbanut, creating sinah and creating mamzairim and fostering a security policy based on who is in charge today, who needs to look tough for reelection, who nneds to get American support to get elected, etc.
So, this may sound radical, but maybe the frum parties should use their votes to reform the gov’t and write and ratify a constitution and insist on a security policy that (hang on to your hats, this is going to be too wild to even consider) is based on SECURITY needs and not on politics, instead of selling out to the highest bidder.
Is anybody else anticipating riots in geula? I think it would probably be justified here. Whatever the government insists on doing they must maintian the proper respect to Rav Kanievsky who is a gadol hador.
Those of you who are laughing have no heart. It’s a bizayon — period. Not in the least something we should be laughing about!! Treating a psak by the unquestioned chachamim of chareidi Jewry in ha’aretz as a social problem is the bottom of the barrel for a government of Jews by Jews. How long are we chareidim going to sit on the sidelines and not only allow subversive initiatives to erode the truth, but make subversively dismissive comments ourselves? Think, Yidden! And go out there to do what you can! Our doros depend on how we respond.
What happened to freedom of religion and speech
These people don’t realize that all of Gaza is Hamas! Period not exceptions. Yesterdays incident in Kiryat Sefer proves Rav kanievsky is right. Aren’t all the Israeli politicians worried about the Israeli Arabs. In most countries , the public may disagree with a war policy but support the troops. The Israeli Arab protests shows the hatred they have for all jews, and that they do not support the troops of their country. Rav Kanievsky has every democratic right to support the saving of jews such as the occurrence yesterday by a Family Arab in Kiryat Sefer. When their daughters will be raped by Arabs they might agree with the godol Hador.
Nu kovod hatorah!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oy kovod haTorah
Speaking negatively about the godol hador is not a safe thing! (reply to 24)
Since when is the torah democratic if the godol hador says something you listen whether you like it or not. especially if it has already been proven that people are being killed.
The only reason “they” found nothing incriminating against Rav Kanievsky, shlita, is because they’re scared of starting up with him. Now that is a true Gadol Hador.
I worry about the Jews of Israel, because if this is the way they treat their Rabbonim, especially now, during a war, during a crisis, (euphemistically said) I am afraid the emenies of Israel could have a big loss, without the help of Avinu Shebashamayim.
They will soon have to censor & indite the printers of shulchan Aruch, BTW it applies to all not just arabs.
Especially renting in EY, & employment also is a special mitzvah to take your brother. Vehameivin Yovin, this is a public website.
reply to #44 : “Just because you don’t agree with a law or the ruling government, doesn’t mean you can break their laws. Can we pick and choose which laws of the land we keep?
“These are “bein adom l’chavero” laws…where are all the calls to uphold the justice system of the land?”
Nothing to do with “just because you don’t agree with a law” ! How stupid.
1) Did Rav Kanievsky say it’s ok to rob people, cheat on taxes, barrel through traffic lights, etc.??? Which LAW did he say we should break?
2) You say it’s a “LAW” in Israel that MANDATES we employ in our defenseless homes and institutions a person whose people proclaim to the world that it is a God-mandated right (nay, accomplishment!) to annihilate us (any civilian, Israeli or Jewish and not Israeli)? That’s a “LAW”? A “bein adam lechaveiro law”? No, nudnick.
3) “Uphold the justice system”: yes. We should. Everyone should. The Rabbanim do, and they should. That’s Torah. And you are a nudnick with no moral compass.
this govt doesnt realize who they r starting up with i hope for their benefit they change their minds on this
as a godolhador/amud umelitz dorynu who protects this world by his torah and hasmodo has immence siyata dishmaya
Its very simple. The torah does not allow hireing arabs. Vnishmartem Meod Lnafshoseychem.!
why on earth should we feel comfortable about hiring Arabs if one too many a time they have come back to stab us in the backs? On one hand, Israel fights terror on the southern border, and on the other hand it expects civilians to trust the very same population that has abused our trust and killed our children when we hired them. What Perhaps the religious names attached to the boycott is the source of the disaproval against it. In any case, what is undemocratic about a peaceful boycott?
if they charge Rav K. with anything, they will basically be opening up another front in the war- Gaza, Lebanon, and the Charedim who will go nuts if this happens. I think they better back off, they may have there hands really full!
These stupid idiots in the government don’t understand thet their only existence in the land of Israel is because of our great Gedoilim such as R’ Chaim Shlit”a. As the posuk says: עומדות היו רגלינו בשעריך ירושלים!
Actually, I believe this is just an excuse to intimidate rabbonim.
The government seeks every opportunity to try to shut the mouths of our leaders. Here they think they found a way.
THEY MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO GET AWAY WITH THIS!!!
This horrific behavior on the part of the government can be very effective in silencing our rabbonim, who are are real leadership.
Can we have our true leaders, our gedolai hador, be frightened to speak out?
Where before this have our rabbonim been made to be afraid to speak their minds?
What is next? Some group begins to manufacture tefillin with New Testament passages or maybe the national anthem or something inside, maybe they will replace the Shin with a Star or maybe the moon, … and rabbonim will not be able to protest? We will be told that we are “inciting” something?
If we are against putting in NT passages, we are inciting the Chr***tians!
If we are against putting in Hatikvah, we are inciting the Zionists!
If we are against putting in parts of the Koran, we are inciting the Moslems!
So, we must stand by while people make tefillin with the Koran inside.
Of, we must stand by while people make tefillin with Hatikvah inside.
Or, we must stand by while people make tefillin with Luke inside.
Or, we must stand by while people make tefillin with a star outiside instead of ths shin.
Oh… this all sounds silly and crazy to you? Of course, I used an example of totally outrageous concepts. But that is how the outrageous happens. By allowing small steps .,… step by step,… we will move towards that.
Rabbonim MUST be allowed to voice their opinions, no matter who disagrees with what they say!
WE MUST NEVER ALLOW OUR RABBONIM TO BE INTIMIDATED!
Sometimes we must open our mouths and speak out against something.
To have a law that can curtail that takes away our most basic rights.
We may not have a law which limits this ability to speak out.
We may not have a law which uses “Inciting hatred” as an excuse to silence opinions.
What about the Missionaries who wish to convert our kids?
Do we prohibit their activities?
Do we speak out to not allow them?
Or, if a Rov speaks out to ban Missionaries from reaching our kids, is this inciting hatred?
This inciting hatred crap has gone too far.
Sometimes We Must Be Against Something, and WE MUST BE ALLOWED TO SPEAK OUT WITHOUT INTIMIDATION.
“Its a difficult issue, one side we have a real great rabbi – R kanievsky, in the other side we have democracy our only strange and hope around the globe.”
So, you think Israel is a democracy. Think again. No less an authority than Judge Bork has stated that, in His opinion, Israel is a dictatorship, run by its judiciary. Here are the details:
Pride of place in the international judicial deformation of democratic government goes not to the United States, nor Canada, but to the State of Israel. The Israeli Supreme Court is making itself the dominant institution in the nation, an authority no other court in the world has achieved. Imagine, if you can, a supreme court that has gained the power to choose its own members, wrested control of the attorney general from the executive branch, set aside legislative and executive action when there were disagreements about policy, altered the meaning of enacted law, forbidden government action at certain times, ordered government action at other times, and claimed and exercised the authority to override national defense measures. No act of imagination is required. Israel’s Supreme Court has done them all.
–Coercing Virtue by Robert Bork.
to say dont hire arabs is extreemly inflamatory ! rabbi kook did the same prior to chevron riots . it is also not reasonable considering the fact that there are soo many arabs living in israel . the only chance of slight peace is coexistance . i htink the israeli authorities are correct . a fact is a fact no matter who did the crime
.
since when was democracy, especially a crazy definition of it, more important than the lives and safety of citizens? These people are sick.
Democracy? The dirty little secret that nobody wants to admit is that Israel cannot survive as a democracy because Arabs and other non-Jews will outnumber Jews. Non-Jews will have to become non-voting citizens. And Israel does not have to apologize. This is no different than other countries that want to keep their population homogeneous. Look at Japan and Singapore. Even now, some Nordic countries are rethinking their immigration policies because of the influx of Muslims that refuse to assimilate and have become the major criminals.
Why would any haredi hire an Arab, ever? Why give money to someone who will cut your throat?