Liberman To Lapid: Fire Chief Rabbi Yosef Over Political Interventions

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman called on Prime Minister Lapid to “fire” chief rabbi Yitzchak Yosef after he called for the Knesset to legislate an override clause against the Supreme Court. Liberman claimed that the chief rabbi’s political intervention is not his first, as he called a few days ago to raise the allotments for Avreichim to three or four times their current level. [During the current negotiations it was announced that the government allotments for Avreichim will be doubled to 1350 NIS- about $400]

Shas leaders mocked Liberman’s demand, stating that “he will have five years to complain about what happens in the government, he will attack and fulminate in an ugly manner and we will continue to act. Nobody will silence the Rishon Letzion {Rabbi Yosef].”

UTJ leader Yitzchak Goldknopf said that “I wish to express sharp protest against the scathing words of the departing Finance Minister against Rabbi Yosef Shlita. This person, who constantly berated and incited against an entire community shouldn’t attempt to restrict the free speech of others, especially not that of a Rabbi in Israel.

“I remind Liberman that the elections are over, in the few days you still have in the ministry try and mitigate the damage you have caused in your short term there instead of making superfluous provocations.”

Rabbi Yosef spoke in his weekly shiur about the fact that new appointments could not be made for neighborhood rabbis because the Supreme Court demanded that reform rabbis also be appointed. He said that the override law should be passed and establish that only orthodox rabbis be appointed in contravention of the court.

Rabbi Yosef also called for the amendment of the Law of Return, since “there are now 32 religious and chareidi Knesset members, which has never occurred previously.”