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Jerusalem - Rav Ovadya Yosef Under Tight Security Due to Terrorist Threats |
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Rabbi Ovadia Yosef Voting in Israelis Elections
Although usually Shas MKs Yishai, Attias, and Nahari pray shacharis with Rav Yosef in his private minyan, followed by a quick "Cabinet meeting", they rarely join the rav for mincha and maariv due to their busy schedule. This is the time of day they assess when he is the most vulnerable to attack since his minyan is attended by many others, many of them for the first time, including Jews who come to ask his participation in the bris of their son.
The General Security Agency (formerly Shabak) said that Rav Yosef was not eligible for a security detail because the threats referred to all spiritual leaders and were not specific to him. But Shas politicians are not taking their chances and have instituted a number of undisclosed security measures in place.
Rav Yosef has been the target of terrorists in the past. Half a year ago, it was discovered that a East Jerusalem Arab delivery boy who brought groceries to Rav Yosef's home was helping terrorists plan an attack. A year and a half before that, a similar threat brought Shas leaders to hire a guard to cover Rav Yosef throughout the day. The protection was only removed a year ago after the threat had ceased and budget difficulties forced the party to cut unwarranted expenses.
Since the four Shas ministers and deputy ministers are accompanied at all times with guards, the above ministers and MK. Yitzchak Cohen from Ashkelon, have undertaken praying with Rav Yosef in his mincha and maariv minyan, so at least their guards will provide him protection at the same time.
A journalist who participated in mincha last Wednesday got a taste of the security measures in place to protect Rav Yosef. When he pulled out a camera and began to take pictures, within seconds he was flung out of the room by one of the guards, and a second guard grimly wiped out of his camera's memory card the pictures he had taken.
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Read Comments (15) — Post Yours »
1
Jan 08, 2009 at 11:04 AM Israel fails to protect their own! Says:
So Israel is refusing to protect, not only Chabad in India, but even their own past Rav Haroshi on their own soil?
2
Jan 08, 2009 at 11:07 AM Anonymous Says:
“ So Israel is refusing to protect, not only Chabad in India, but even their own past Rav Haroshi on their own soil?
”
I certainly hope hashem protects him but is he entitled to a greater degree of protection than any of the hundreds of other heilege rabbonim and leaders in Eretz Yisroel...every soldier or policeman that has to sit outside his beis medrash is one less fighting Hamas....
3
Jan 08, 2009 at 11:48 AM Anonymous Says:
“ I certainly hope hashem protects him but is he entitled to a greater degree of protection than any of the hundreds of other heilege rabbonim and leaders in Eretz Yisroel...every soldier or policeman that has to sit outside his beis medrash is one less fighting Hamas.... ”
can you think of a greater kiddush hashem for the state of israel and the army to post security details around torahs greatest scholar? do you believe that hashem will make us more vulnerable on the borders because we protect our greatest torah leaders???
4
Jan 08, 2009 at 11:37 AM Trade Off Says:
“ I certainly hope hashem protects him but is he entitled to a greater degree of protection than any of the hundreds of other heilege rabbonim and leaders in Eretz Yisroel...every soldier or policeman that has to sit outside his beis medrash is one less fighting Hamas.... ”
I agree that he should not be protected at the expense of soldiers in Gaza.
Instead take the Body Guard, who is protecting all the government officials responsible for the eviction form Gush Katif (including those protecting the current prime minister) and have them protect the Rav who warned that giving away land to the Arabs will result in todays war.
5
Jan 08, 2009 at 11:56 AM Anonymous Says:
“ can you think of a greater kiddush hashem for the state of israel and the army to post security details around torahs greatest scholar? do you believe that hashem will make us more vulnerable on the borders because we protect our greatest torah leaders??? ”
I'd rather have those decisions made by the generals...all I know is that they have been increasingly concerned about being streched to the limits by the current gaza engagement and were concerned about what might happened if they had to commit more troops to the northern border. Let the rabbonim hire their own security details.
6
Jan 08, 2009 at 12:11 PM Anonymous Says:
since when do tzadikim need protection from anyone other than hashem?
7
Jan 08, 2009 at 12:07 PM torah jew Says:
Are you kidding me? This man does more for the army and the jewish nation as whole than any other human being alive! His Hasmada is not human!
Of course they should protect him at any cost! Where are your haskofos?
8
Jan 08, 2009 at 12:19 PM Anonymous Says:
“ Are you kidding me? This man does more for the army and the jewish nation as whole than any other human being alive! His Hasmada is not human!
Of course they should protect him at any cost! Where are your haskofos? ”
I didn't say not to protect him...i said that they should not divert active or reserve military to guard duty but should arrange for private security which is readily available in EY...lets hope both this Rav and all of the other Gedolim living in eretz yisroel remain safe and in their z'chus, this war will be concluded soon and sucessfully
9
Jan 08, 2009 at 11:57 AM hasidic jew Says:
“ I certainly hope hashem protects him but is he entitled to a greater degree of protection than any of the hundreds of other heilege rabbonim and leaders in Eretz Yisroel...every soldier or policeman that has to sit outside his beis medrash is one less fighting Hamas.... ”
facts is hes the most famous we have the responsibility to protect him. you make no sense in what you said. hamas is trying to attack the biggest.
10
Jan 08, 2009 at 12:41 PM Anonymous Says:
“ I'd rather have those decisions made by the generals...all I know is that they have been increasingly concerned about being streched to the limits by the current gaza engagement and were concerned about what might happened if they had to commit more troops to the northern border. Let the rabbonim hire their own security details. ”
i also agree that the decisions should be made by the generals....HOWEVER, i don't believe you recognize who our generals really are.
11
Jan 08, 2009 at 01:04 PM Anonymous Says:
“ i also agree that the decisions should be made by the generals....HOWEVER, i don't believe you recognize who our generals really are. ”
Even the biggest rabbonim in EY have left it to the military to fight the wars while they seek Hashem's protection and intercession...please don't suggest we should rely on rabbonim to make military decisions
12
Jan 08, 2009 at 02:03 PM OvadyahFan Says:
We had The RAV Sandak at my sons brit milah a couple months back, and there was no security. However this was in his home and if he leaves his home he has security guards.
This rav is very special. After my sons brit milah he spoke to me.
All he cares about is Am ISrael and he truly loves every jew. Every Rav of this generation agrees that he is a true talmid chacham. Even Ashkenazi rabbanim confer with him on matters when they are in safek.
Hacham Ovadiah is special.
He was teh first to come out against sheitels strongly and sure enough now ashkenazi rabbanim are coming out against them.
You have to do your hishtadlut and that is why he has security guards. You should see the doorway to his home.
We know a family who lives in the building and the building in general is very well secured.
He should continue to be a Manhig Israel until Moshiach comes!
Please continue davening for him that he should have health!
13
Jan 08, 2009 at 01:59 PM Anonymous Says:
“ Even the biggest rabbonim in EY have left it to the military to fight the wars while they seek Hashem's protection and intercession...please don't suggest we should rely on rabbonim to make military decisions ”
We should rely on our gedolim to make all our decisions. (If they decide that the army should make the calls on the battlefield then that's what we do)
The chacham didn't decide that we should give him protection. That's somthing we should do as a show of us knowing where our strength is.
14
Jan 08, 2009 at 02:45 PM Anonymous Says:
“ We should rely on our gedolim to make all our decisions. (If they decide that the army should make the calls on the battlefield then that's what we do)
The chacham didn't decide that we should give him protection. That's somthing we should do as a show of us knowing where our strength is. ”
Eretz Yisroel is a democracy where those who wish to rely on the rabbonim to guide every aspect of their lives are free to do so. However, the elected leadership of the medina and the generals they appoint to manage national security should make the final decisions. I personally would prefer they consider the views of torah-knowledgeable rabbonim but certainly not have them make the final decisions. We did not elect the rabbonim to lead the state. If they wish, they can run for elective office and many have done so and are MKs.
15
Jan 08, 2009 at 07:26 PM he should.... Says:
R. Ovadia should be protected, but at whose expense?? on whose Cheshbon??