JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The US embassy in Israel recently informed Tzfat chief rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu that his visa to America has been revoked, according to a Yisrael Hayom report.
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The report said that this was an unusual step since the visa had not expired but had been officially revoked by the State Department.
Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu is one of the leading rabbis in Israel, who has served for tens of years in official positions as rabbi of Tzfat and a member of the Chief Rabbinical Council.
The US embassy refused to offer any information about the reason for the revocation. Israeli officials maintained that the matter may be connected to previous statements by Rabbi Eliyahu about Israeli Arabs, including calls not to hire apartments to Arabs.
Rabbi Eliyahu is one of the most prominent and active rabbis in the Religious Zionist community. In recent years he has been active in strengthening ties with US Jewry, but has sharply criticized the reform Jews. This also may be a reason for the US revocation of his visa.
The rabbi’s office issued a statement that “despite numerous requests from the American consulate, we haven’t received any explanation for the reason behind the revocation of the visa which has been valid for decades. From our own investigations it appears that this is an act by anti-Zionist elements in the reform movement, who constantly seek to curtail freedom of speech and silence rabbis. After they failed to silence Rabbi Eliyahu through legal means they are trying in other ways to shut his mouth. There is no reason for concern, they will not succeed.”
Stick to your principles , Rav Shmuel. To heck with US State Dept. Stay in Eretz Hakdosha and continue your holy work. No need to travel to tumah .
More and more, Biden’s administration acts with the same hostility towards Jews as Hussein’s.
Velamalshinim al tehi sikvoh
the real question is, was this from “above” or “below”?
was it just the initiative of an “anti-zionist” official, acting on his own prejudices against israel and jews, or was it ordered from the “big people”, as part of the biden/obama administration’s policy of siding with the arabs against israel?
because this very much resembles obama’s tactic of antagonizing netanyahu, to diminish his credibility and divert attention away from iran’s nuclear weapons program.
Was he involved with the Chaim Walder situation? Could that be a reason?
Rabbi Walder is doing some heavenly work.
The rabbi from Tzfat is right do the American people rent out there apartments to the American Indians what does the state department say about that
Deport Linda sarsour BTW her brother mohamed is a manager in a kosher chabad restaurant in crown heights I’m sure he doesn’t spit in the food Ala jesse Jackson
First, they write:
“Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu is one of the leading rabbis in Israel…”
This is inaccurate, because “rabbi” typically refers to rabbanim of Orthodox Judaism.
Later on, they clarify:
“Rabbi Eliyahu is one of the most prominent and active rabbis in the Religious Zionist community.”
That’s more accurate.
serves him right