Rav Michel Zilber: Those Who Provoked Arab Driver Are ‘Inadvertent Killers’ Of Yossi Aisenthal z’l

ERUSALEM (VINnews) — A senior ultra-Orthodox rabbi drew attention and controversy after delivering a forceful address following the death of a teenage protester who was fatally struck by a bus during a demonstration in Jerusalem.

Rabbi Michal Zilber spoke Saturday night at a gathering in the Ramot neighborhood, organized after a series of recent tragedies affecting the local community, including the death of Yossi Eisenthal, who was killed during protests against military conscription.

In his remarks, Zilber said responsibility for the fatal incident extended beyond the bus driver to include protesters who surrounded and provoked the vehicle in the moments before the crash. While stressing that the driver remained accountable, Zilber argued that those who intensified the confrontation shared moral responsibility for the outcome.

“Anyone who contributed to inflaming the situation must examine their actions,” he said, urging participants to seek guidance from their rabbinic leaders on how to atone for unintended harm.

Zilber framed his comments as a call for self-reflection rather than condemnation, saying the death should prompt communal soul-searching. He said the tragedy was not a failure of the victim, whom he described as spiritually elevated, but a challenge for the living to learn restraint and responsibility.

The remarks came amid heightened tensions following a string of demonstrations and clashes in Jerusalem. Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash.