Haifa – Yesh Atid Rabbi in ‘Racism’ Controversy

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    FILE - (R) Rabbi Shai Piron, who is number two on the Yesh Atid with political party founded by former journalist Yair Lapid. Flash90Haifa – MK Rabbi Shai Piron, who is number two on the Yesh Atid list, and has been mentioned as a possible candidate for education minister, was put on the defensive today for advising someone on a religious internet forum in 2002 during the second intifada not to sell his house to an Arab, Army Radio reported Tuesday.

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    On the forum, called Kipa, an individual from Haifa asked Piron what he should do about selling his apartment because he wished to move away from an area of the city with many Arab residents and no Jew would purchase his apartment.

    Piron replied, “You should not sell the house to an Arab, and in particular when there is the prohibition of Lo Tehunam and selling a house to Arabs, especially in light of the current struggle is absolutely prohibited.”

    The religious concept of Lo Tehunam is interpreted by some rabbis to mean that Jews are prevented from selling their land to gentiles who reside in Israel.

    In response to the report, Piron’s spokesperson said, “The forum Kipa deals with questions of halacha [Jewish law] and halachik answers on various topics. The answer that Rabbi Piron gave is the halachik reply and does not represent his personal positions. On the subject of selling apartments to Arabs, Rabbi Piron does not stand behind the halachik ruling on the matter, and his activism in recent years on dialogue between Arabs and Jews is evidence of this.”

    Piron added to this sentiment on a long post on his Facebook page saying, “Three years ago I came out against rabbis who interpreted the law in this way,” adding “a little effort would reveal the true picture.”

    In October 2010, a halachic edict against renting or selling land to non-Jews in Safed, signed by a group of local rabbis, stirred controversy in Israel. Later that year in December, a petition signed by rabbis across the country said that Jews should not rent homes in Israel to gentiles.

    Content is provided courtesy of the Jerusalem Post


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    10 Comments
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    Reb Yid
    Reb Yid
    11 years ago

    He was anti-Arab as well as anti-chareidi. Now he backs off from the anti-arab view and the other one remains. I guess that’s the Arid of Israel.

    11 years ago

    Apparently in order to be affiliated with Yesh Atid your hashkafah should not be in line with Halacha. Great, the number 2 man said that and he is their rabbi. I am sure that is their general consensus. Including another of their so- called rabbis.

    Liepa
    Liepa
    11 years ago

    His halachik opinions depend on which direction the wind blows!

    thecoach
    thecoach
    11 years ago

    I guess that the future education minister does not believe that you have to teach what is true, just what is politically correct.