Jerusalem - Israel: Checking If Rabbis Broke Law With Edict |
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December 9, 2010 02:16 PM
News Source: AP
News Source: AP
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Israeli Rabbi Mordechai Nagari who recently signed a religious ruling barring Jews from selling or renting homes to non-Jews, reads from a religious text in his office as he poses for a photo, in the Jewish West Bank settlement of Maaleh Adumim near Jerusalem, Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2010. Three dozen of Israel's top rabbis have thrown their support behind a religious ruling barring Jews from selling or renting homes to non-Jews - testifying to a growing radicalism within the rabbinical community at a time when frictions between Israeli Arabs and Jews are mounting. (AP Photo/Tara Todras-Whitehill)Jerusalem - Israel’s attorney general’s office says it is looking into whether a rabbis’ edict forbidding property sales to Arabs breaks the law.
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The ruling, signed by dozens of state-paid municipal rabbis, calls for Jews not to rent or sell property to gentiles. It cites the Old Testament, warning that mixing with gentiles can lead to sinful behavior.
The edict has been condemned by a wide spectrum in Israel. Some call it racist. It reflects growing tensions between Israel’s Jews and minority Arabs, one-fifth of the population.
The letter, released Thursday, said the rabbis’ statements are “very problematic” and ordered an examination into “whether criminal and penal aspects may arise from the statements attributed to the rabbis.”
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Read Comments (10) — Post Yours »
1
Dec 09, 2010 at 01:31 PM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
It would be a real chillul hashem if they have to jail these rabbonim for criminial violations of the anti-racism law. It would only make them martyrs to the Tzionists and right wingers.
2
Dec 09, 2010 at 01:41 PM Aryeh Says:Report as Inappropriate
Satmar Rav Z"tzl was right, so was Rav Kahana Z"tzl
3
Dec 09, 2010 at 01:44 PM kollelfaker Says:Report as Inappropriate
so much for freedom of speech but when an arab KM blasts the jews nothing is said
4
Dec 09, 2010 at 02:12 PM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
It's criminal for a LANDOWNER to discriminate on the basis of religion or race, but it is not criminal for someone to have an opinion relating to jewish law insofar as renting to gentiles are concerned.
It's also criminal, and an abuse of process, to "investigate" wrongdoing where it is blatantly obvious that no wrongdoing exists. The IAG will wind up in the same boat as Linda Reade.
5
Dec 09, 2010 at 02:33 PM EveryNormalNameWasTaken Says:Report as Inappropriate
“ It's criminal for a LANDOWNER to discriminate on the basis of religion or race, but it is not criminal for someone to have an opinion relating to jewish law insofar as renting to gentiles are concerned.
It's also criminal, and an abuse of process, to "investigate" wrongdoing where it is blatantly obvious that no wrongdoing exists. The IAG will wind up in the same boat as Linda Reade. ”
I found the article somewhat unclear; they say they are investigating “whether criminal and penal aspects MAY ARISE FROM THE STATEMENTS attributed to the rabbis” [emphasis mine].
Are they investigating whether the rabbis have done anything wrong in issuing this statement (seems like free-speech to me), or are they investigating whether a person adhering to this ruling by not renting or selling property to non-Jews would be breaking the law as it currently stands?
6
Dec 09, 2010 at 02:37 PM charliehall Says:Report as Inappropriate
“ It's criminal for a LANDOWNER to discriminate on the basis of religion or race, but it is not criminal for someone to have an opinion relating to jewish law insofar as renting to gentiles are concerned.
It's also criminal, and an abuse of process, to "investigate" wrongdoing where it is blatantly obvious that no wrongdoing exists. The IAG will wind up in the same boat as Linda Reade. ”
You were doing ok until you got to Linda Reade. Shalom Rubashkin was proven to have violated the law -- doing things that are asur according to halachah. The problem is the draconian penalty, not the conviction.
7
Dec 09, 2010 at 02:41 PM US Citizen Says:Report as Inappropriate
A Rabbi should NEVER be restricted from issuing any ruling (based on Shulchan Aruch or Daas Tora) which shall supercede any Laws issued by the Zionist which are against Hashem and the Torah.
Timing is perfect, let them will have the same fate as the Yevonim.
8
Dec 09, 2010 at 03:44 PM MeirYaakov Says:Report as Inappropriate
“ A Rabbi should NEVER be restricted from issuing any ruling (based on Shulchan Aruch or Daas Tora) which shall supercede any Laws issued by the Zionist which are against Hashem and the Torah.
Timing is perfect, let them will have the same fate as the Yevonim. ”
Well, in this case Rav Elyashiv
has (both according to Haaretz and also according to Behadrei Haredim, which has an article up quoting him verbatim) said about this edict:
"כבר מזמן אמרתי שיש רבנים שצריך לקחת מהם את העט
Or in English, "I've said for some time that there are rabbis who must have their pens taken away from them"
Which certainly at least makes this a machlokes.
9
Dec 09, 2010 at 05:07 PM Lawyer Says:Report as Inappropriate
to #8
If you look carefully at what R. Elyashiv and other gedolim have said, there really is no machlokes as to the halakha. What R. Elyashiv has emphasized is that not every psak needs to be publicized and certainly not made into a political statement like this one was.
10
Dec 14, 2010 at 07:02 PM TzViBenRoshel Says:Report as Inappropriate
“ Satmar Rav Z"tzl was right, so was Rav Kahana Z"tzl ”
What do you mean? By the way i see it they are worlds apart. (I support Rav Kahane ZTL HYD though).